Nestled beside the CQUniversity Rockhampton campus, the proposed Rockhampton Sports Precinct represents a significant opportunity to create a resilient, high‑quality recreational destination for a growing community. Therefor Group was engaged to support this vision through specialist bushfire hazard assessment and comprehensive ecological services – ensuring the precinct’s design is not only functional and future‑ready, but also environmentally responsible.
The project demands a careful balance between natural values and built outcomes. Located within areas of conservation significance, the precinct contains several hazardous vegetation communities that posed a substantial bushfire risk to future infrastructure and operations. Our team undertook a detailed hazard analysis and developed a tailored management plan that integrated seamlessly with the emerging site design. Achieving adequate separation, mitigating risk, and informing design decisions required ongoing collaboration, iterative review, and close liaison with the broader project team. This shared approach ensured that all stakeholders clearly understood the potential hazards, agreed on the mitigation strategies, and supported a unified risk management framework ahead of the development application.
Alongside the bushfire work, our ecology team delivered a full suite of assessments across approximately 26 hectares of the site. This included ecological baseline studies, tree survey plans, rehabilitation management plans, development-ready reporting, EPBC (Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation) Assessment of Significance, and targeted species surveys. Extensive field investigations resulted in a robust understanding of the site’s flora, fauna, and vegetation communities – including targeted surveys for the EPBC‑listed Squatter Pigeon (Geophaps scripta scripta). Kangaroo population assessments further informed design responses and land management strategies, supporting a master plan that aligns with environmental constraints while enabling long-term ecological health.
When complete, the Rockhampton Sports Precinct will become a highly valued community asset – one that brings together sporting facilities, open spaces, and recreational opportunities for residents, visitors, and local organisations. Its thoughtful design, underpinned by strong environmental stewardship, will help foster community wellbeing while ensuring the precinct remains sustainable and resilient for generations to come.
