11899795_1000405716648309_350523877982821054_nThe Sunshine Coast, a subtropical area centring on the Maroochy and Mooloolaba River Catchments, is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful regions in Australia.  The area is graced with long stretches of white beaches bracketed by rocky headlands and small hidden bays, lush lowland forests and forested mountains in the west.

The region supports a broad range of both subtropical and temperate flora and fauna in a wide cross section of habitats, including coastal wetlands, mangrove forests, subtropical rainforests, and Eucalypt forests in the mountains to the west.  Each of these habitats is represented in the reserve estate.  However, this region has experienced one of the highest rates of vegetation clearing in Queensland, and increasing human population pressures are fragmenting the remnant vegetation, making the preservation of tree corridors along waterways a critical issue.  The waterways of the area are generally in moderate to poor condition, as assessed by the State of the Rivers reports on each river.  The major reason for the low rating in each case is the clearing of riparian vegetation.