Wallum

Australian ecosystem

Wallum heathland Wallum banksia, Banksia aemula

Wallum, also known as the Wallum Sand Heaths or Wallum Country, is an Australian ecosystem of coastal south-eastern Queensland, extending into north-eastern New South Wales. It is characterised by flora-rich shrubland and heathland on deep, nutrient-poor, acidic, sandy soils, and regular wildfire. Seasonal changes in the water table due to rainfall may create swamps.[1]

The name Wallum is derived from the Kabi word for the wallum banksia.[2][3]

## Threats

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Wallum, as with other coastal ecosystems, is highly threatened by the pressure for coastal development. Threats include clearing of land for residential development and pine plantations, alterations to drainage from adjacent developments, nutrients from fertilizers, changes in fire frequency, pollution from mosquito control sprays, and the introduction of weeds.[1][3]

Species endemic to Wallum include some acid frogs – frogs adapted to living and breeding in acidic waters – such as the wallum froglet, Freycinet's frog, and the wallum sedge frog. In Queensland, the eastern ground parrot appears to be largely restricted to the wallum.[4][5]

Wallum froglet (Crinia tinnula)

Save Wallum, Brunswick Heads

Save Wallum is a community campaign that began in mid 2023 to protect 30ha of rare coastal wallum heath and woodland in Brunswick Heads, which is in the Byron Bay Shire in Northern NSW, from the construction of 124 residential lots and 3 medium density lots, one which will sell for $3 million.[4][6] The movement to defend this land has garnered national media attention, brought senators and celebrities alike to the site, activated hundreds of locals on the frontline of defending nature, and engaged tens of thousands online across social media.[7]

The site where protection is sought is located at the back of Bayside on Simpson’s Creek in Brunswick Heads, adjacent the Tyagarah Nature Reserve. The site is flood and fire prone land, habitat for 24 state listed threatened species and 9 EPBC, federally listed threatened species.[4]

A large part of the reason that protection is sought for this site is that it is a place of great cultural significance for the Bundjalung people who are its Traditional Owners and who have requested permanent protection. The site contains Aboriginal cultural pathways, pre-colonial trees and has significant ceremonial and cultural associations which relate to the threatened species living there.[8]

Wallum’s wetlands and aquifers help maintain the health of the Brunswick River itself, playing a role in managing floods, water retention and filtration through the landscape, preventing salinisation of the water table and protecting Simpsons and Everitts Creeks from potentially hazardous acid sulphate soils. The trees on the site create a key koala corridor in this area and support the only known group of glossy black cockatoos in the shire, which has declined to fewer than 10 birds.

In 2023 the Northern Region Planning Panel (NRPP) approved the DA based on a Concept Plan, under now repealed legislation, from 2013; the proposed new DA was exempt from current ecological impact assessment as a ‘Zombie DA’ under Clause 34a of the Biodiversity Conservation (Savings and Transitional) Regulation, 2017.

Byron Shire Council voted on 8 February 2024 to approve the first construction certificate giving the community no choice but to defend this place with our bodies, using Non-Violent Direct Action (NVDA), a community 24hour Vigil on site to protect the land commenced.[9]

The community held a peaceful presence with volunteers rostered on to stay and keep a sacred fire burning on the Old Brunswick Crown Road, supporting 2 tree sits and the ‘possums’ living in them for the first 3 months and making history as the first Australian NVDA blockade in suburbia, lasting 9 months.

In July 2024 a Federal Court Interlocutory Injunction was awarded to stop the developers, the almost billion dollar investment company, Clarence Property, from undertaking any development works on the Wallum site.[10][11]

The landmark case brought by Save Wallum Inc against the developers under the Environmental Protection Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, for a permanent injunction is now underway, based on the threat to 5 federally listed threatened species - the Wallum Sedge Frog, Koala, Glossy Black Cockatoo, Long Nosed Potoroo and the critically endangered Mitchel’s Rainforest Snail.[12]

The trial commenced in Sydney on 21 February 2025 and has run for 8 days, with further dates set down between now and Final Conclusions scheduled at this stage for the end of May. The matter is being live streamed on YouTube from the federal court of Australia channel on days in session, as a public interest matter.[13]

In the meantime, a newly formed group Community Lead Land Acquisition (CLAI), is looking for support to buy back Wallum in Brunswick Heads NSW, to preserve it in perpetuity.

## References

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1. ^ a b "Wallum Sand Heaths | NSW Environment, Energy and Science". threatenedspecies.bionet.nsw.gov.au. Retrieved 14 April 2025.
2. ^ "How we saved our wonderful wallum world". Noosa Matters. 7 April 2024. Retrieved 14 April 2025.
3. ^ a b "Life in Wallum Country" (PDF). Mary River Catchment Coordinating Committee. Retrieved 14 April 2025.
4. ^ a b c "About". Save Wallum. Retrieved 14 April 2025.
5. ^ Meyer, Ed; Hero, Jean-Marc; Shoo, Luke; Lewis, Ben. "National recovery plan for the wallum sedgefrog and other wallum-dependent frog species". Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. Retrieved 14 April 2025.
6. ^ "MP05_0091 MP 05_0091 - Bayside Brunswick Residential Subdivision | Planning Portal - Department of Planning and Environment". www.planningportal.nsw.gov.au. Retrieved 14 April 2025.
7. ^ "'We're sick of destroying it': Community fears impact of new housing development on 'unique ecosystem'". ABC News. 11 February 2024. Retrieved 14 April 2025.
8. ^ "Community right to Save Wallum". Wilderness Society. Retrieved 14 April 2025.
9. ^ "Minutes Ordinary (Planning) Meeting Thursday, 8 February 2024" (PDF). Byron Shire Council. 8 February 2024. Retrieved 14 April 2025.
10. ^ "Urgent injunction ordered at Wallum to pause works | Greens NSW". greens.org.au. 5 July 2024. Retrieved 14 April 2025.
11. ^ Echo, The (28 August 2024). "Wallum stop-work injunction upheld". The Echo. Retrieved 14 April 2025.
12. ^ "Conservation Advice for Calyptorhynchus lathami lathami (South-eastern Glossy Black Cockatoo)" (PDF). www.environment.gov.au. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 March 2023. Retrieved 14 April 2025.
13. ^ Echo, The (18 February 2025). "Wallum trial set to begin in Federal Court". The Echo. Retrieved 14 April 2025.

## External links

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* Coloola Coastcare – What’s Wallum?