An 11-year-old boy's campaign to save the habitat of the vulnerable glossy black cockatoo is highlighting shortcomings in federal threatened-species laws.
"I think glossy blacks are really amazing birds and I've got a really amazing connection with them as well," Spencer Hitchen told 7.30.
More than 65,000 people have signed his online petition to stop further destruction of the cockatoos' habitat at Sunrise Beach, near Noosa, to make way for a Uniting Church aged care and residential village.
"He's fallen in love with glossy blacks," Spencer's mother Maxine Hitchen said.
"Our whole family has fallen in love with them. You can't help but not."
'Death by a thousand cuts'
While the amount of habitat to be cleared is a relatively small five hectares, Sean Dooley from Birdlife Australia says he is worried the glossy black cockatoo will suffer "death by a thousand cuts" and the current federal environment legislation does not take into account the effects of multiple developments.
"These small actions by themselves wouldn't trigger the [environment protection and biodiversity conservation] act," he said.
"However, cumulatively they are having an impact — and it's not only for glossy black cockatoos, it's for a whole range of threatened species."
The glossy black was only placed on the threatened-species list last August — after the developer of the Sunrise Beach site had secured all the state and federal environmental approvals.
The Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) argues this is a serious shortcoming.
"There should be an opportunity for the minister to reassess a piece of habitat that's had a vulnerable species listed," the ACF's Josh Meadows said.
Glossy black cockatoos only feed on cones from some she-oak trees.
The Uniting Church's community health arm, Blue Care, is developing on a site that contains an estimated 71 important she-oak feed trees.
Trees planted as part of offset
The first stage of clearing began in March and construction is now underway.
"To meet environmental obligations forming part of our Development Approval for Blue Care Sunrise Beach aged care and retirement living precinct, Blue Care agreed to rehabilitate three hectares of nearby Noosa Shire Council-owned land within Girraween Nature Refuge," Blue Care said in a written statement.
"Beyond our development approval obligations, we have also supplied thousands of additional she-oak seeds and seedlings to local schools, residents and bush care groups for planting in the Noosa area."
Blue Care conceded there had been some problems with the rehabilitation area, which is an old dump site that has been "capped" with mulch and topsoil.
A spokesman said the company was "awaiting Noosa Shire Council's formal approval in writing" before pushing ahead with the next stage of rehabilitation.
Noosa Shire Council said 600 trees had now been planted as part of the offset for the first stage of the aged care development.
"Officers are currently investigating the capped landfill area to determine how the landfill cap is best managed in the future," the councils' acting director of environment and sustainable development, Leo Jensen, told 7.30.
'If we don't have trees we won't survive'
Spencer Hitchen wants Blue Care to abandon its plans and build the aged care home elsewhere.
"We need to save remaining patches of remnant habitat, especially this ecosystem which is the Wallum woodland," he said.
"If we don't have trees we don't survive."
The young environmentalist is also a skilled wildlife photographer and is launching a calendar to raise money for the campaign.
Ms Hitchen said although the campaigning had been tough at times, her son kept pushing her along.
"It overtakes your life really, but for him, he's so passionate about it — it's just who he is," she said.
"We can't deny him that."
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