Open letter to the Premier of Queensland to save koalas
Redland City koala
Hon Annastacia Palaszczuk MP
Premier
Queensland Government
the.premier@premiers.qld.gov.au
Dear Premier
PROPOSED ‘SHORELINE’ DEVELOPMENT CATASTROPHIC FOR REDLANDS’ VULNERABLE KOALAS
Please – Save our koalas from extinction.
Please – Call in and refuse the ‘Shoreline’ Development Application to Redland City Council – Redland Bay MCU013287.
Please – As a matter of urgency, do this now.
THE KOALA FACTS
- The Redlands koala population, estimated in 1999 to be 6,200 animals, has plummeted by approximately 75% (in 15 years).
- The koala was recently listed by your government as ‘vulnerable’ in Queensland with South East Qld suffering the greatest loss of koala numbers.
- Habitat loss is the greatest threat to the koala’s survival followed by disease, vehicle strikes and domestic dog attacks.
‘SHORELINE’ DEVELOPMENT FACTS
- With 4,000 dwellings over 310 hectares, more than 700 koala food trees will be destroyed
- At least 6,000 more vehicles travelling through the Koala Coast region with no koala friendly road crossing infrastructure beyond the development site
- An estimated 2,000 additional domestic dogs.
THE PLANNING FACTS
1. The South East Queensland Regional Plan 2009-2031 defines the land use intent of the ‘Shoreline’ development area as Regional Landscape and Rural Production – not residential.
2. The Redlands 2030 Community Plan (published 2010) clearly seeks protection of koalas and limits to population growth.
3. The Redland City Land Supply Review (2014) found that Redlands has enough land to accommodate the projected population growth for the next 20 years.
4. The results of the Redlands Community Survey Report 2005 showed:
- 82% of residents were not prepared to accept a decline in koala numbers in order to accommodate more people.
- 88% did not agree that the Redland’s population should be allowed to increase by an estimated 60,000.
- 68% preferred a limit on population growth.
The proposed ‘Shoreline’ development contradicts State and community planning intents and will be catastrophic for Redlands’ koala population.
PREMIER PALASZCZUK, PLEASE – SAVE OUR KOALAS: CALL IN AND REFUSE THE SHORELINE APPLICATION
This open letter was initiated by the Redland City based Koala Action Group. More information about koalas in the Redlands is available on their website and Facebook page.
Community Action
If you are concerned about the future of koalas in Redland City, take time to send this letter directly to the Queensland Premier. Whether you are a resident of Redland City or not…Koalas belong to all humanity…everyone has the right to tell the Queensland Premier that she has an obligation to protect the koalas of Redlands in the face if incremental decisions by Redland City Council that will kill off koalas in the co-called Koala Coast.
What can you do?
At the top of this page there is an “email” button, yes the little envelop at the top right hand side of this post.
1. Click on the email button and your email will open with the following text already in place:
Hi
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2. ADD after the automatic message
Dear Premier
Please heed the contents of this web post.
Regards
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Note you could add any specific and personal comments….. here
3. ADD the Premiers email address by copy and paste the address below into the “TO” box of your email:
the.premier@premiers.qld.gov.au
4. Ask your friends and relatives to help save koalas by asking the Premier to heed our concerns. Share this post with anyone who cares about koalas.
Please note: Offensive or off-topic comments will be deleted. If offended by any published comment please email thereporter@redlands2030.net
Re WELCOME TO OUR CITY when history was made from a Shire on March 1, 2008. Following is then Mayor Melva Hobson’s 1st edition of Residents’ Report, and I quote:
“Engagement with community is a priority for our new Council. (regrettably, not so in Seccombe and Williams’ administrations)
There’s a long established saying ‘involve me & I’ll understand’. I believe it is essential our community has ownership of projects. Hearing your views is one thing, but we want more. We want community members to be an integral part of our decision-making.
Importantly, we must adopt a precautionary approach to growth rather than push it to the limits.
We have great opportunities to undertake planning ensuring we have world-class management of natural assets, such as the bay, waterways & buffer zones.
It is vital that we don’t have further degradation of Redlands’ defining attributes. For instance, we must maintain & enhance natural habitats, with urban koalas & wader birds, two of species that require SPECIAL ATTENTION.
With background in public sector & as teacher, I believe my understanding of planning, mgt of environmental & demographic issues, community engagement experience & facilitation skills will stand me in good stead as I lead the new Council.
Council is part of this community & we are driven by the community – not by politics. I look forward to working with you as we progress our rural city”.
Signed: Melva E Hobson PSM
Mayor of Redland City
Note: Under Mayor Williams’ administration in 2016, it appears politics has driven the community along with high profile developers involved in council decision making on behalf of we, the people, behind closed doors with mayor & followers, where, for past 4 years, 5 councillors were left in the dark on important decisions that affect us all…and yes, severe degradation and near extinction of koala populations, including considering selling neighbourhood parks and reserves to developers trashing work of volunteers over a long period of time to create a pleasant, liveable environment has occurred.
Today with fresh faces in council, can we please look forward to a less brutal local government body when dealing with issues that affect us all remembering that each councillor is paid to look after the interests of his/her constituents in their respective divisions.?
I’m sorry but your stats are meaningless as the proposed area is farmland, the damage is already done, by clearing land for farmland. Kolas need the right sort of gum trees, without them kolas will decline in numbers. We have the chance now to change the area in question and provide an environment for all, the alternative is leave it like it is and watch kolas vanish from the region your choice
The better plan would be to not remove any koala food trees, if it was all cleared how come in the application the developer states there are about 700 koala food trees. Whilst replanting is the developers preferred option the trees are not useable by koalas for about 10 years.
Once again for community information the report that Urbis did for this council shows there is enough land inside the urban footprint until about 2030. A planning scheme is done every 7 years so one would have to question the urgency for this out of sequence development . The donation to election campaigns should not be a trigger for rezoning from rural to residential