We are an incorporated community based, not for profit, landcare group based in the residential suburb of Mt Lofty in the NE area of Toowoomba City within the Toowoomba Region in SE Queensland.

Mt Lofty community residents formed Save Mt Lofty in 2017 in response to a proposed 340 lot residential development of the 380ha Mt Lofty rifle range by the Commonwealth Defence Department and Defence Housing Australia (the current owners of the land).

After a prolonged campaign, on 26 October 2020, DHA withdrew its appeal to the Queensland Planning & Environment Court to overturn a unanimous decision of the Toowoomba Regional Council to reject a smaller 50 lot development application of the old rife range site. This TRC decision was based primarily on the issues of bushfire risk, economic necessity and protection of koala habitat. 

For more information on this campaign, please review Chris Meibusch e-book Save Mt Lofty – Lessons for a Successful Community Campaign available through Apple Books or Amazon Kindle.

Since 2020, Save Mt Lofty Inc president Shaen Egan has pressured DHA to undertake bushfire mitigation land management on the rifle range site. The site has had precious little management until February 2024 when Shaen was successful in having DHA contractors remove lantana and privet in the areas closest to residential houses in Mt Lofty.

Save Mt Lofty Inc has also continued to encourage TRC to work with DHA to secure the Mt Lofty rifle range site for the Toowoomba community, subject to de-contamination work being conducted across the site. 

Save Mt Lofty president Shaen Egan has prepared a Safe Base Bravo Plan for the establishment of a facility for PTSD sufferers to use the rifle range site for rehabilitation whilst undertaking land management strategies across the site. 

In 2021, Save Mt Lofty Inc received State & Federal Government funding to run the Toowoomba Escarpment Bushfire Preparation Project. 

Each November, Save Mt Lofty conducts the Toowoomba Region Koala Count encouraging community members to observe and report their koala sightings on the iNaturalist platform across our Region.

In 2023, Save Mt Lofty Inc received Federal Government funding under the Saving Koalas Fund to run the Toowoomba Region Koala Habitat Project.

Save Mt Lofty Inc is affiliated with Darling Downs Environment Council (DDEC); Condamine Catchment Management Group Assoc Inc and Queensland Water & Land Carers (QWaLC) through which we hold our public liability insurance for our activities.