Morgan Williams and Giuseppe Palumbo are the owners of a property located in Black Mountain, approximately 30km west of Noosaville, Queensland. The property is a dedicated wildlife sanctuary and used for agriculture (cattle) and it is Morgan and Giuseppe’s intent to protect it in perpetuity through a Voluntary Conservation Agreement with the Sunshine Coast Council, with an application underway.
The sanctuary covers 180 hectares, approximately 40% of which is covered in bushland including various eucalypt species. A recent survey identified 331 native plants including 4 rare species: giant ironwood (Choricarpia subargentea), hairy hazelwood (Symplocos harroldii), native cassia (Cassia brewsteri) and large-leaved chainfruit (Alyxia magnifolia).
Known wildlife inhabitants of the sanctuary include ringtail (Pseudocheirus peregrinus) and brushtail (Trichosurus vulpecula) possums, black (Pteropus alecto), little red (P. scapulatus), and grey-headed (P. poliocephalus) flying-foxes, koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus), eastern sedgefrogs (Litoria fallax), as well as various snakes, and it is likely that the waterways have giant barred frogs (Mixophyes iteratus) present. A recent fauna survey identified a wide range of native birdlife with 58 species noted over a four hour period, with examples including laughing kookaburras (Dacelo novaeguineae), Wonga pigeons (Leucosarcia melanoleuca), spangled drongos (Dicrurus bracteatus), king parrots (Alisterus scapularis) and significant numbers of magpie geese (Anseranas semipalmata), rose-crowned fruit doves (Ptilinopus regina), silvereyes (Zosterops lateralis) and Lewin’s honeyeaters (Meliphaga lewinii).