What a semi rural block changes
Semi rural, by design
The city's 2003 planning scheme says the Upper Coomera locality has an essentially semi rural nature, and wanted new homes to keep elements of the rural landscape. That usually means more sheds, stored timber and yard than a town block.
Hinterland slopes
The same plan says the hinterland slopes and rural farm lands here hold major conservation and wildlife habitat values. Possums, ticks in long grass and the odd snake come with that.
Baker Creek
The council lists Baker Creek among the lower Coomera River tributaries, and Baker Creek Parklands sits on Stone Creek Drive. Creek gullies stay damp long after rain, and damp suits both mosquitoes and termites.
Fire ants
Suspect ants in a paddock or a lawn are a call to Biosecurity Queensland, inside 24 hours under Queensland law, not a pest booking. Queensland also restricts moving materials that can carry them, so check before you shift soil or mulch.
Tanks and septics breed mosquitoes
This is the part town blocks skip. NSW Health lists unscreened rainwater tanks among common breeding spots, and City of Gold Coast advises covering large water container openings with 1 mm wire gauze.
If you're on a septic system, the council's list is specific: cover leach drains, check lids for cracks, seal the concrete bung, and fit the vent pipe with a mosquito proof cowl or screen. It also asks residents to keep open drains and channels clear of weeds and grass.
A walk around the shed and tank
- Check the tank's gauze for holes and the overflow for standing water.
- Keep firewood and offcuts up on racks, away from the house and shed walls.
- Keep feed in sealed bins. Rats and mice find a shed quickly.
- Look under roof sheeting and in sheds for paper wasp nests, and leave any you find alone.
- Keep grass short around the buildings.
Termites on a bigger block
Stumps, old fence posts and buried timber give termites plenty to work with on a rural style block, and they can forage well beyond the house. Their usual foraging range is within 30 m of the nest, CSIRO says, and occasionally it's 100 m or more.
So a good inspection on a block like this looks past the walls. Ask whether the sheds, retaining walls and trees near the house are included. If you find a mud tube, don't break it. For a building and pest inspection in Upper Coomera, remember the building half needs a separate licence.
What we'd do on a semi rural block
We'd start with the tank and septic before summer, then get the shed and woodpile off the ground. Book the termite inspection, and ask them to include the outbuildings. Tell us what you've seen and your postcode.
Want someone to look at it?
Tell us what you've seen and your postcode, and a local pest business that handles exactly that calls you to talk it through.
