Register here!

WELL, L👀KIE HERE!! 

What's inside this week?

⚓Library Legends Fundraising

⚓State Emergency Service is now on Coochie (and looking for more volunteers!)
⚓Coochie Curlews - our kookie-sounding island birds

⚓That's a wrap! Bushcare winds up for 2025
⚓Coastcare Environmental Hub opening in Feb 2026

Scroll to the end for 'What's on in October' and 'Standing Items' for events &  key contacts on Coochie 👇👇👇

⚓ From the Helm⚓

Ahoy Coochies!
What a ride this week has been! Our island community is alive with action, heart and that unmistakable Coochie charm. We’re cheering on our lifesavers: the State Emergency Service now has boots (and maybe flippers! - OK, jokes about the flippers, we'll leave that to the SLS 😁) on Coochie and is recruiting island-heroes ready to jump in when storms or surprises happen.

We’re also celebrating nature’s oddball. Say hello to our feathered night-watchers, the quirky and ghost-whistling Bush Stone‑curlew. A little spooky, supremely adorable, and fiercely Coochie.

And finally, to every muddy-booted volunteer who planted, weeded and nurtured our island’s green heart: thank you. Your sweaty hands are building our future forest, bird-calls and all.

Turn the page, check out what’s on and get involved, because this island isn’t just a place, it’s a community that’s growing stronger every tide.

Catch you on the next wave,

Adaire Palmer

Editor, Coochie Community Online
Aboard Adaire to Dream

Coochie’s Art & Book Fundraiser is coming up — and it’s shaping into a gorgeous community afternoon. Local artists have donated stunning pieces valued up to $600, and for just $5 a ticket you could walk away with your favourite artwork while helping restock our island library with much-needed new books. The event is on Saturday 13 December from 12.30 pm in the annex next to the library, with tea, coffee, nibbles and a fun “pick-your-prize” draw. It’s wholesome, it’s local, and it’s very Coochie.

See more...

State Emergency Service - now on Coochie!

Great news! SES now has a presence on Coochie!

The team is currently building skills through ongoing training both on the island and with groups on the mainland. Equipment has already been delivered, including everything needed for sandbag and storm damage operations.

Having a local SES presence will significantly improve response times for urgent call-outs, as we can now assess needs more quickly, maintain on-island visibility, and strengthen direct communication with mainland services.

We are still looking for more recruits and welcome anyone interested to visit the website:  www.ses.qld.gov.au/join-us  or come and talk with us. We’ll be available for questions and sign-ups at the Coochie Christmas Markets on 29th November, or you can speak with us during our regular training days at Coochie Rec club, 3rd Saturday of the month at 1pm.

If you need SES assistance call 132 500 or use the SES Assistance App. In a life-threatening emergency contact Triple Zero (000) immediately.

Coochie Curlews

Once upon a dusk on Coochiemudlo Island, the ghostly silhouettes of ground-dwelling birds emerge, (not so) silent, patient, quirky.

These are the humble inhabitants of the island’s night-life: the Bush Stone‑curlew (also called the bush thick-knee). Let’s tell their story, of growth, of survival, of weirdness, and of how humans and curlews can share the place in harmony. 

Read more...

What island resident sounds like a ghost, startles tourists and locals at night, and still manages to be adorable?

Coochie Bushcare Wraps Up a Big Year of Island Restoration

The forecast promised rain, but Coochie did what Coochie often does... kept the sky dry. So the Bushcare team of volunteers rolled up their sleeves one last time for 2025 and wrapped up the final working bee of the year.

Across the past twelve months, more than 30 local volunteers have put in steady, muddy, sweaty hours to help regenerate around 15 hectares of native vegetation along the island’s waterfront.

It’s been a solid team effort, weeding, planting, and hand-watering hundreds of young seedlings, many of which are now settling in beautifully.

A heartfelt thanks goes to Coochie Native Nursery for supplying those seedlings and supporting the island’s revegetation all year long. Your contribution keeps our green places thriving.

Here’s to a greener, wilder, even more bird-filled 2026.

Note from the Editor: Thank you to the Bushcare coordinators and volunteers for all you do to help our little island paradise stay that way 😍 🏝

Coastcare news  

Environmental Hub build draws to a close

A project started nine years ago to develop a Coastcare Environmental Hub and storage facility on Coochiemudlo Island is rapidly drawing to a close in Elizabeth Street.

Translating the vision for a home-base to celebrate Coochie’s precious Ramsar wetlands and beaches has drawn on the talents of a wide range of people, including many members who’ve kindly provided professional expertise and guidance.

Special thanks goes to local builder, Stephen Geronimos and his sons for their commitment and craftsmanship bringing the project to life on bushland between the Moreton Bay Environmental Education Centre and Energex depot.

The final stages of construction are currently underway with finishing touches and preparations for fit-out for operational use.  The Hub is expected to become a valuable community asset, supporting environmental education and volunteer co-ordination to strengthen future conservation initiatives on the island.

An official opening of the Environmental Hub is planned to co-incide with World Wetlands Day in early February 2026

Artisans on Coochie

Celebrating Sandra Pearce

Sandra is an urban-ecology artist working across printmaking, collage, artist books, poetry, and paper-based installations.

She regularly explores the natural environment through kayaking, cycling and walking, and enjoys working plein air—using monoprint, drawing, and text as the foundation for her studio-based projects.

Sandra’s connection to Coochiemudlo Island (‘Coochie’) has deepened over the past 15 years through friendships and the pull of the island’s emerald fringe of mangrove forests and sandy beaches.

See More...

Coochie - Your Community; Your Contribution🏝🤝😍

📬 Got an idea, event, or organisation you’d like featured? Hit reply to this email, or send a message in a bottle (aka Facebook Messenger) or to editor@coochiecommunityonline.com.

If you're looking to make a complaint to council, head to the bottom of this newsletter. You'll also find other info that might be useful.

Together, we’ll build a community resource that every Coochiemudlian (and our ML neighbours) will be glad to have in their inbox.

Events on Coochie 📅

Coochie Progress Strategic Planning Day

Standing items

Your portal for information about Coochie

🌴Stay Connected on Coochie 🌴

Life on Coochiemudlo Island is all about community. Whether you’re here full-time, part-time, or visiting, it’s easy to get involved and feel at home.

From emergency services and medical contacts to local clubs, sports, and social groups, there are plenty of ways to connect.

Looking for a Justice of the Peace? Want to join the Progress Association, Men’s Shed, or Recreation Club? Keen to play tennis, pickleball, or keep fit at the gym (once it reopens) Or maybe you’d like to explore art, craft, music, or gardening with fellow islanders?

You’ll find it all in one handy place.

👉 Check out the full list of community contacts here

It’s your go-to resource for staying safe, connected, and part of our wonderful island life. 

📅Community Calendar📅

Want to know what's coming up? You don't need to wait for us to share, check the calendar right here!

Credit: Angela Hoskins for this wonderful resource 🥰

Help celebrate National Coastcare Week on the Melaleuca Wetlands Beach on Saturday 6 December for the final working bee of the year. We’ll be doing what we can to shore-up what's left of the dune-face and weed along the way.
 
Meet where the flags fly at the southern (James Street entrance) to the wetlands at 2pm and please wear long pants, covered shores, a hat and BYO water. Afterwards, we’ll relax with refreshments.
 
Newcomers are always welcome.
 
Coastcare Week is an annual campaign celebrated during the first week of December that acknowledges Australians who are actively restoring, enhancing and protecting the natural environment in their community including Australia’s coastlines, waterways and marine environments. 
 
If you have any queries please don’ hesitate to call Bryan on Mob 0487 054 127 or Graeme on MOB 0413352511

Artisan Alley 

Redland City Council 

Want to make a complaint? Report an issue?

Find out what week your bin goes out? Watch the latest Public Council Meeting? Do that here!

Here is information on how Coochiemudlo residents can contact Redland City Council for various issues.

Individuals can report issues such as potholes, trees, roads, paths, rates, planning & development, and graffiti by phone, email, or submitting a contact form.

Residents can also give feedback, lodge complaints, or seek assistance from the council.

Report an Issue

Use this form to contact council

Redland City Council Public Meetings

Redland City Council Meeting Webcast offers an archive of past meetings for public viewing.

Have questions?

Visit the help page for assistance.

Did you know you can access recordings of General Meetings, Special Council Meetings, and Special Budget Meetings?

Stay informed about important decisions and discussions within the council.

Visit the Redland City Council Public Meetings archive here.

Answer: The Bush Stone-curlew

Curlews have one of the spookiest calls in the bird world. So eerie that early settlers thought the island was haunted.
Their nighttime “wailing woman” cry has been blamed for ghost stories all over Australia. Meanwhile, the birds themselves are just chatting away, minding their own business.

Perfect mix of creepy and cute. Enjoy!