Koala mapping data helps us to understand which parts of Redland City need to be left undeveloped if we are to preserve a viable population of koalas.

Despite repeated requests, and research showing that the survival of the Koala Coast koalas are dependent upon the protection of urban bushland, the Redland City Council has not shared its recently completed detailed koala mapping data with the community. Fortunately, Redlands2030 has been able to access mapping data from the Australian Koala Foundation (AKF).

The AKF mapping helps us to understand why the number of koalas has fallen so dramatically throughout Redland City. It also shows the remaining habitat regions which need to be preserved if koalas are to survive.

Unfortunately, some of the best remaining koala habitat regions are also likely to come under pressure from developers. Resolving these competing land use objectives will be a major test for the current Redland City Council which will be facing electors in just over 12 months.

Threats to koalas: habitat or health?

There has been much discussion in the Redlands community about why our koala population is declining: illness (chlamydia), dog attacks, traffic, or habitat loss.

Professor Peter Timms – a leading Queensland microbiologist and expert in koala diseases – has highlighted the imperative of suitable koala habitat and the need to mitigate human induced impacts for its survival. In his Microbiology Australia paper “Chlamydial Infection and Disease in the Koala” he states that “most populations have medium to high levels of chlamydial infection, that is not a major threat to the individual animal when they are in good health. However, if their health is perturbed for any reason (eg stress due to lack of adequate food trees, stress due to overcrowding or human impact, …) then the balance is tipped in favour of the parasite and individual populations can be under the combined threat.”

Where are our koalas?

KoalaonStumpzoomed

Council has undertaken its own detailed Koala and Wildlife Habitats mapping program. Hopefully it will identify not only the significant koala habitats as captured by the AKF, but also the remaining refuges of our urban koalas. Despite repeated requests to Council for the mapping information, the data has not been provided.

In lieu of Council’s reluctance to be transparent with Ratepayer’s data, Redlands2030 has looked elsewhere to help gauge the current status of our emblematic marsupial and its habitat.

Today, the Australian Koala Foundation (AKF) maps the Redlands Koala Habitat areas … these maps show over 70% of Redlands mainland Koala Habitats as predominately LOST – GONE!

Redland Koala Habitat Atlas. Pre-clearing - Current vegetation.

Redland City Koala Habitat Atlas. Pre-clearing and Current vegetation. Source AKF 2014. (Click to enlarge)

The AKF map and associated table (below) show the percent areas lost since European settlement for each of the major Koala Habitat types that cover each of the 10 Divisions of Redland City Council (RCC).

The AKF map shows Habitat Types as Primary Habitat (green) – capable of supporting high-density koala populations;  Secondary Habitat (Class A) (olive) – capable of supporting high to medium-density koala populations; and Secondary Habitat (Class B) (light green) – capable of supporting medium to low density koala populations. See AKF Map Guide for further details.

The below table colours represent – RCC Divisional Areas with over 60% Koala Habitat LOST (red); 20%-60% Habitat LOST (orange); and less than 20% Koala Habitat LOST (yellow).

AKFstatsRedlands2013

Koala Habitat (% LOSS) for Redland City Council Electoral Divisions. Source AKF . (Click to enlarge)

Though the actual Koala numbers and the location of remaining urban habitat pockets are unknown (we await the results to be released by Council), the evidence shows that the most significant remaining Koala habitat areas are North Stradbroke Island (NSI) and in Division 6 of Redland City Council where some 75% of its habitat area remains uncleared.

Past Planning

In 2008, Redland City Council (RCC) comprised the largest part of Queensland’s Koala Coast and home to the largest urban koala population in Australia. Its then remaining 3,000 Koalas were at potential risk of extinction within 20 years. At the time Council responded with a recovery plan. The  Koala Policy and Strategy aimed to take immediate action to recover the existing population to more than 5,000 in the Koala Coast area by 2014.

It will be interesting to learn whether the current Council Koala mapping program shows if there is any recovery towards the targeted 5,000 koala population – let alone whether it was achieved.

Future Planning

Soon, Redland City Council will reveal its new City Plan to direct development in the coming years. Will it enhance recovery or further decimate Redland’s Koala population?

With Governments rhetoric about the need to balance environment and economic outcomes, the evidence from the available mapping is very clear … the balance between the environment and the development footprint is out of kilter – it has gone too far “against” koalas.

Redlands new City Plan 2015 needs to ensure its koala habitat and koala corridors are strongly protected and that its “urban footprint” is carefully considered.  Only then can appropriate development areas and appropriate scales of development proceed.  Importantly, these decisions need to be evidence based and able to stand the public scrutiny – there is no room for error.

Act now

Professor Peter Timms’ scientific awareness  highlights  the importance of protecting our remaining koala habitats and mitigating human impact.

Residents across the city and those caring for our tourism icon need to be alert to the future of koalas in the Redlands.  People (from all over the world) are witnesses to “our” actions and they will judge us on the outcomes of how we protect koalas and koala habitat. Councillor for Division 6, Cr Julie Talty, Chair for Council’s Planning and Development Portfolio, needs to be reminded of this responsibility. Her own Division is one of the last bastions for koala survival in the Redlands.

096 Thornlands west 5 February 2015 comp

The balance has already moved too far for any inaction. Cr Julie Talty – with her access to the evidence and the tools needed to deliver the outcome for koalas that the community expects – must act now.

People from across the city should take the time to contact Cr Julie Talty, and confirm the onerous responsibility she carries.  Her obligation is even greater given Council’s policy and planning failures to date.

There are no fall back positions and no second chances…the planning for Division 6 must be world class and a giant leap above anything done to date.

The evidence shows that there is little room for any major “residential developments” that eat further into the koala habitat and corridors of Queensland’s Koala Coast.


COMMUNITY ACTION: Contact Councillor Julie Talty with your views on the protection expected for the Redland Koalas and its Habitat.


Luke, Mar 05, 2015

Words of mayor Karen Williams

Our koala weekend events are aimed at raising the profile of our much-loved iconic species and encouraging the community to do their part to save our local koalas,(27-5-2012) bayside bulletin.

Toni, Mar 07, 2015

Luke it is a case of “do as I say not as I do”
In 2006 I watched the Seccombe Six including Karen Williams, Alan Beard and John Burns father of Julie Talty amend the officers recommendation of the Planning Scheme to include large areas in SE Thornlands, Bunker Road and Kinross Road for housing development, areas that had significant koala habitat. Drive along Cleveland Redland Bay Road near Pinklands today and see an example of their decision.

Garry Hill, Mar 04, 2015

Redlands City koala mapping & koala survival
RCC always has some excuse or someone else to blame as to why their planning and development processes can’t stop mature koala habitat from being destroyed. Well, whose rules are developers adhering to? If RCC can’t or won’t push the State Govt. for better koala protection in the current draft City Plan 2015, koalas numbers must become fewer and fewer. No amount of koala mapping will help the koalas survive whilst RCC ignore Redlands 2030 Community Plan values, and whilst many RCC members collectively consider they are simply there as a rubber stamp for the State Govt. development at any cost to the environment. Maybe, those same RCC members should also consider planning replacing the koala emblem on all RCC rubbish bins with a more appropriate state wide orientated emblem like Skippy the kangaroo. Not as cuddly as our koala, but I’m sure Skippy will be a developers’ delight with his substantial and sturdy tail.

Carford of Cleveland, Mar 04, 2015

Redland City Koalas
It was highlighted at the IndigScapes information session 26th Feb.2015 on the draft City Plan 2015, that Redlands community was privileged in being the only one, or one of a few local councils that require the koala map layer for city planning. From views expressed more clearly at the meeting, this does seem to mean a lot more to the community than it does to RCC. Unfortunately, and based on ever decreasing local koala numbers, if RCC continues “managing koalas and their habitat” as it has done to date; and RCC also continues to be nothing but an execution arm of the state wide State Govt., then the koalas are doomed. The fact that RCC was not able to negotiate successfully with Fetini developers to save the mature 27 koala proven friendly trees (now bulldozed) and associated koalas, circa Ivory Lane, to me will remain a blatant and permanent reminder to many in the community of both the shocking ineffectiveness of RCC & State Govt., and the moral bankruptcy of the developer.

Anyone who saw this near straight strand of koala trees hugging but inside the south side boundary of the development site, prior to bulldozing could not help but say “I have never seen a more obvious situation where mature (not saplings) koala trees should and could have been saved”.

Conversely, anyone who did see these trees in relation to the site could not help but say one would have to be simply morally bankrupt and bloodied minded to needlessly and wantonly destroy this row of koala habitat along the edge of the boundary.

If RCC can’t do better than this then soon our Redlands won’t even need the special koala layer for planning. The koala is not the problem; the problem is the current RCC underlay.

Ella, Feb 11, 2015

The opportunity to put the facts of the area known under the Redlands Planning Scheme 2006-15 as the Thornlands area south of Boundary Road, is very welcome.

The on the record facts regarding this area include that:

-it was included in the gazetted SEQRP 2005
-was identified and included under the RPS 2006 as the Thornlands Integrated Enterprise Area (TIEA)
-remained identified as integrated enterprise / employment under the RPS to the present day
-in 2007 and 2008 RCC CEO Susan Rankin wrote to the state government on behalf of Council requesting that area a Masterplanned Development Area as a matter of urgency
-in 2008 RCC LGMS unanimously supported the TIEA in Council’s formal submission to the SEQRP 2009-31 Review
-on Dec 2008 the TIEA was included in the gazetted Draft SEQRP 2009-31
-on 24 May 2009 Council engaged PSA Consulting to deliver a Masterplan and Infrastructure Delivery Plan for
the TIEA
-until 24 June 2009 PSA Consulting continued to be engaged in delivering this Masterplan to Council
-on 29 July 2009 the TIEA was removed from the Urban Footprint without a right of review, without a right of appeal and without compensation
-PSA Consulting advised Council to request a reconsideration of the decision to remove the area from the Footprint but Council chose not to do so
-non statutory instruments, namely the Premier’s Koala Taskforce 2008 and GHD consultants generic koala mapping data May 2009 were used to inform the removal of the TIEA from the Footprint

From 2005 to 2009 RCC failed to amend the Rural Non Urban zoning of the TIEA to reflect its Urban Footprint status under the SEQRP 2005-9. This non alignment provided the opportunity to remove an area of proven strategic importance to the Redlands without triggering compensation under the planning scheme at the time.

Any discussion of the area south of Boundary Road should be informed by the documented facts and by the knowledge that the Minister of the day on several documented occasions clearly stated that the decision to remove the TIEA from the Footprint was made in response to “other” submissions from Council, made in a “variety of ways”, other than Council’s normal submission.

Suggestions that the TIEA area provides koala habitat are severely misinformed and ignore the fact that millions of dollars of ratepayers money has been spent on using due process to confirm this area suited to development for the good of the greater Redlands.

On the other hand, its questionable whether due process was used to remove such a strategically valuable area from the Footprint.

Jan, Feb 10, 2015

It would be of great interest to overlay the AKF koala habitat maps with the Redland City Councils recently completed detailed koala mapping data they have yet to release for public scrutiny. Then another comparison would be to see where the main development thrusts have been approved. This shows where our councils priority lies. We can see with our eyes as we travel around our local streets but to have it down in black and white, proven with statistics, puts nails in coffins.

Amy Glade, Feb 10, 2015

Paid into environmental levy 27 years.. upset hearing Mr Photinos during Don Seccombe Admin. stating no funds would ever be spent in Capalaba, and here I’m reading Mayor Williams has ordered environmental land purchased with levy in the past ..be sold…who to? All experienced staff who knew Redlands corridors, koala movements, were dismissed and replaced with young staff who don’t know lay of the land so to speak.
Cr Julie Talty, Div 6, has asked staff to identify conservation land in Redlands..to be sold. Also no conservation land has been bought during present council administration?
If ex-Cr John Burns is an influence on daughter Julie Talty, Div 6, with no caring for community health, koalas, or conservation areas, then koalas will I fear become extinct in any area under her jurisdiction as father John Burns, Alan Beard, Head Town Planner Gary White, forced into leaving by Mayor Eddie on finding out they gave our Specially Protected Wetland Under Koala Coast Policy, 29-37 Moreton Bay Rd Capalaba to Peter Endacott, who builds towering concrete commercial structures and changed zoning overnight to ‘commercial’..I watched in Council as Cr Burns swiveled around in his chair looking directly at Adrian Caneris, Wildlife Officer, to declare ‘developer is giving $15,000 to parks department. Adrian knew value of the wetland…that after first draining it, took weeks of imported earth to fill the mini-crater. End result, our koalas have vanished along the creek and towering concrete walls provide a haven for society misfits….a No go zone today…but Mr Endacott thanked the Capalaba residents for paving his way to riches. Since Editor Bayside Bulletin was not in a position to comment, Wynnum Herald Editor interviewed me and stated in their editorial ‘this precious oasis should have been saved for the people’. My late husband, an engineer, said that no government body should have allowed such destruction of a forested area, core habitat for our once loved, Coolnwynpin Creek koalas.

Jan, Feb 08, 2015

Is it time for all of our councillors to declare how close their contacts to developers are? Eg. Relationships, amount of donations to election campaigns? Or are these the sort of questions that should be asked if a new state government can be persuaded to form an ICAC to look at dealings of this council over the last 2-3 years.? If a council report stated we had 3000 koalas in 2008 and an environment levy has been paid by ratepayers to then meet the planned “increase to 5000 by 2014”, what has happened in council to action that possibility, as it is obvious the number has declined!

Toni, Feb 08, 2015

The most up to date info on the Redlands urban koalas has been done by Deidre De Villiers a very talented woman who worked for EPA and was sacked by Cambell Newman, her final report has been refused to be released by the previous Government. Deirdre , who worked in Redlands for many years with local residents documenting koalas and their movements is now doing great work with koalas outside of Government but hopefully the new Government will discover the documents and release them for all to view.

Me Too, Feb 08, 2015

The AKF maps you’ve included may be handy to show a general idea of decline in habitat area but unfortunately for the “urban” koala the maps do not drill down to individual areas in the suburbs. Individual trees can be koala trees, like the one at the parking lot at Birkdale railway station, the trees that went on Collingwood Road, or the successful trees at Ormiston. With all of the infill going on anything goes and the trees are in the way. Let’s face it…Redlands is a KOALA area therefore any action should run through the test of ” How will this affect our koalas?”
It seems to be the other way round: “How will this koala need affect the developer?” That is, protect the developer.

Luke, Feb 08, 2015

It was CRRA and not CRRG, and I do believe Gordon Wilson and Fox and Bell were also involved in the association.

madzgr8, Feb 08, 2015

For those who may not be familiar with the CRRG 2012 – this was a group calling themselves the Concerned Redlands Residents Group. Their political donations totalling $21,675 was spent on advertising to smear then local Councillors. The donors were Pryde Fabrication, Auto Electrical Imports, Alan McGirvan of McGirvan Media, Darvalla pty of Mt. Cotton, Harridon Pty Ltd, Gregory James and Nottage Management. They were all connected with the proposed Cleveland Power Electricity Plant to be run on chook poo and located at Mt. Cotton

wildlifebayside, Feb 07, 2015

Research has shown that the survival of the Koala Coast koalas are dependent upon the protection of urban bushland in the Redlands.

A government reports showed:

The largest declines occurred in bushland areas which showed a 59% reduction in koala numbers compared with a 30% reduction in urban areas. The large reduction of koalas in otherwise secure bushland was found to be a flow on effect from excessive habitat loss and mortality in urban areas.

The reduction in adequate recruitment to these bushland areas, confirms a dynamic process operating between the urban and bushland koala populations. Bushland koalas are not protected from the consequences of the high levels of anthropogenic mortality and habitat loss impacting on the urban koala population. In the absence of conserving a viable urban koala population, adjacent bushland koala populations will continue to decline with consequences for the viability of the entire Koala Coast koala population.

for further details of this report go to: https://wildlifebayside.wordpress.com/2015/02/07/the-survival-of-redland-koalas-relies-upon-the-protection-of-urban-habitat/

The current State Government has failed to protect urban koala habitat and now it appears the Redland Council is set to change planning laws to suit developers rather than koalas. The community is watching closely to see if this is the case.

Toni, Feb 07, 2015

When Mayor Williams was elected she recommended within a short time that the environmental levy be cut in half, money previously collected to purchase threatened conservation land and maintain and enhance land already in the ownership of Council was lots, Redlands had gone backward as this levy was initiated in 1992 and had been increased over the next 20 years
The Councils Environmental Department which worked with Strategic Town Planners to identify significant lands to be protected or needed for corridors was sacked. This group was proactive in planning for lands to be planted up with koala food trees and this group had staff who professionally understood koalas and how they lived and moved throughout the city, important knowledge lost as staff were sacked. This information was valuable in planning but sadly was in conflict with what developers perceived was their God Given right to develop everything.
Some important green space in South East Thornlands was also land owned by a large developer who is trying to have the area rezoned. From what I have heard the majority of Councillors are rolling over to allow this land to be developed. Shameful.
Some residents and myself fought to have Mt Cotton development rolled back but in 2006 Mayor Seccombe, Karen Williams Alan Beard and Julie Talty father John Burns approved a Deed of Agreement which allowed the area to be developed. Council officers are now approving large areas of land in Mt Cotton to be totally cleared and the local Councillor Julie Talty is sitting on her hands.
The word on the street is that an area south of Redland Bay is going to be approved for 10,000 people, some has beautiful stands of koala food trees and land south of Boundary Road, especially Taylor, Woodlands and Springacre Roads may be expecting rezoninng for development. Many of these residents were behind the CRRA pro development backing. These areas of land are outside of the Urban footprint identified by professional planners both in the State and Council. This area has significant vegetation which is home to many koalas, who travel along the Eprapah Creek corridor up into Mt Cotton which can be confirmed by the community and EPA surveys
The most alarming news I have heard is that Cr Talty has asked staff to identify conservation land in Redlands to be sold, so in this past term of Williams Council no conservation land has been purchased for protection and some purchased by the environmental levy by past Councils could be sold,and who knows to whom and what zoning has been promised
The most outrageous abuse on our koalas is the development at 401 Redland Bay Road on corner of Lyndon Road, a decision made by Mayor Seccombe, Karen Williams, Alan Beard and John Burns father of Julie Talty including other Councillors in the Seccombe Six team. This site was home to over 13 koalas and was identified as the crossroads for koalas who travel through Redlands City, the EPA and Council officers recommended a refusal for development and only last week I saw large bulldozers clearing land for more development. A sad day for our precious koalas.

Big Boy, Feb 07, 2015

Yes, Toni, you’ve just added another reason why koalas are in decline: the dismantling of environmental staff that knew what they were doing. We can remember their efforts. It’s not just the cutting of red and green tape: it’s also the deliberate under staffing of essential areas that stand in the way of profit.
Yes, we do remember the CRRA and their bully boy tactics at the last election. Wonder did they get some return for their eye-balling efforts at election time?
Yes, another reason for the decline of our koalas: elect councillors that can look the other way when it comes to koalas.
It’s oft been said about Redlands: Don’t put a koala between a developer and his money.
Thanks again, Toni. I hope your comment is read by new comers that wonder what is going on.

Bill, Feb 09, 2015

This dissertation is both defamatory to the residents of the Thornlands Integrated Enterprise Area and again, Toni does not worry about facts interfering with her twisted personal outlook and the historically inaccurate claims that she continues to espouse.

To my knowledge and perhaps I may be corrected I know of only one (1) person who was briefly associated with the CRRA people. No other persons within the area were associated with CRRA.
Toni continues to promote falsehoods on the matter, and we can only assume that she is doing this deliberately. As such I and many others in the TIEA are sick of this despicable and outrageous behaviour by a person who knows full well that she is not telling the truth.

The TIEA bounded by Taylor, Boundary and Springacre Roads and intersected by Woodlands Drive was in the Urban Footprint from 2005. It is still included in the Redland City Planning scheme having never been removed.

The Redland City Council and it’s planners, and the “professionals” at State Dept of Planning did not recommend the removal of the area from the Urban Footprint at any time. It was Toni and some of her mates that lobbied for the removal by approaching Doyle and Bligh in contravention of the official council submission to state. Hinchliffe was told what to do at the eleventh hour and there was no consultation at all.
This is the same Toni who was also pushing for a wasteful $100 million dollar sports complex in that same area and along with the Mayor and a few others, secreted $23 million in a fund to sucker the State and Feds into providing the rest of the funding. This in the middle of the area that she claims was ideal Koala country.

A full retraction is demanded by myself and fellow landowners

Peter, Feb 10, 2015

Bill, on reviewing the Council Minutes of the 15 March 2006 it is very clear that there was division in Council on whether the 2006 Redland Planning Scheme itself should be approved. The vote for its acceptance was won by the later disgraced “Seccombe Six” 6-5.

Past Mayor Seccombe is renoun for his 11th hour exit from the 2008 Council Elections. The then leaders of the “Seccombe Six” included our current Mayor Karen Wiliams and Deputy Mayor Alan Beard.

To be honest Bill, the validity of the TIEA goes back to before the disgraceful 2006 Planning itself and into the era of the “Seccombe Six”. It is sad that memories are so short and that so many do not care to look back at what has happened.

Toni, Feb 10, 2015

Bill
FACT.. there was no Urban land identified in the area of Boundary, Taylor and Springacre Road in the current 2009 Regional Plan, which was approved by Parliament.

FACT … when the State Government approved their revised Regional plan in 2009 all SEQ Council Planning Schemes were meant to be amended to reflect the latest Regional Plan, so Redlands Planning Scheme should have been amended as it was non complying. It has come to my attention that the Council planners were in the process of removing the non complying TIEA zoning but on the 6th June, 2012, Mayor Williams and her sheep blocked the change so the Redlands Planning Scheme is non complying with the 2009 Regional plan. Councils position means little as the Regional Plan prevails over the Planning Scheme to the extent of any inconsistency

6th June 2012. Info from Council Officer report
Key matters that have been identified in Amendment 2A include:
South East Queensland Regional Plan 2009 – 2031 (effective 28th July 2009) changes:

i. 1. deletion of all references in the RPS to the Southern Redland Bay Investigation Area
ii. 2. deletion of all references to the Integrated Employment Area

The Mayor and some councillors endorsed the Mayor’s intent to approach the Minister, Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning, to seek clarification regarding the removal of the Thornlands Integrated Employment Area from the Regional Plan and the State’s future intentions for the area.

FACT…. I did NOT lobby the State Government to remove this area, I have no idea who Doyle is and never met Bligh to discuss any planning issues. But I do feel honoured that Bill thinks I had that much power and influence. I enjoyed the idea that anyone could think I ever had the the power to TELL a Minister what to do, in fact it impresses me..

FACT… Council officers identified a lack of sporting facilities in the city and engaged a consultant to investigate a suitable cleared area. All 11 Elected members were consulted and the officers recommended the area along Taylor Road and Woodlands Drive. WOW! So I secreted $23M to lobby Federal and State, such an amazing story, but a complete fabrication.

I hope these comments help Bill understand the status of the area he is so passionate about. I am happy to debate facts but lets leave the personal vitriol aside, especially when it is misleading and possibly defamatory.

Luke, Feb 07, 2015

The only way you can protect our Wildlife Habitat is to stop over development and plan for sustainable development. How you do that is by making sure you get a sustainable council elected. Your chance comes next March when you ” The People” put a tick next to who you want to represent you in council, that is the only way you will ever get to protect the environment from over unmitigated development. How do you know the right people to vote for?, mix with the right people who are like minded. Check out every candidate and councilor and make sure they have not been bought. Definitely do not join or listen to groups like CRRA which are a front for developers. If you come across any group that spins lies and innuedoe’s about a sustanable councilor you think suitable, check who is backing them. And definitely do not trust any State or Federal Politician who is backing a certain councilor who is sitting or otherwise.As recent events have showen in Queensland you can not trust State or Federal Pollies, most of them lie most of the time. If you think certain councilors have been backing developers get rid of them, if you think certain councilors are trying hard to protect our wildlife and still not against sustainable development vote for them. It is entirely up to you the people, who you want and to start planning now not one Month before election time.

Jan, Feb 07, 2015

As our koalas are in such dire straits as the AKF mapping shows what disastrous planning decisions have had on their habitat is much worse than most ratepayers would believe this council should have allowed, it is obvious what glaring lack of knowledge council planners have about koalas. It is imperative that all planners, anybody who makes decisions about koalas in this council, quickly gain training. It is obvious previous decisions have been made in total ignorance of the animal the council uses as its emblem – it is a unique primitive marsupial, laying down a map of its territory very early in life, needing a variety of eucalypts for food, and whilst most live with chlamydia, they are very susceptible to stress. In a koala friendly development in Port Macquarie 40 of the koalas that lived there were dead within 12 months. One older male circled the stump of his shade tree, which was a pine tree that the developer thought wasn’t needed as it wasnt a food tree but this male used it for shade. The animal spotters observed it during the day, circling the stump aimlessly, and left when it was dark. Next morning it was found dead at the base of the stump. At necropsy it was found to have died from intessuption, a form of twisted bowel.

madzgr8, Feb 07, 2015

Mayor Karen Williams has increased the environmental levy by 31% from $65 to $85.00 for 2014-15.Mayor Karen Williams is no longer spending the environmental levy to protect places of environmental significance, urban koala properties or rehabilitation.
Karen Williams, in her budget speech, claims it costs $5.6 milliont to maintain conservation land totalling 9650 hectares.Mayor Karen Williams is spending the environmental levy to pay for all maintenance of Council owned public land which she now classes as conservation land.

This is an increase in rates by stealth to pay for operational maintenance of public land and a total disregard of the purpose for which the environmental levy was to be applied.
In 2013/2014 Redland City Council did not purchase any conservation properties and certainly none to protect koala habitat.

Ted Fensom, Feb 08, 2015

The AKF Mapping is welcome , but the high value regrowth( 5,900 ha no longer protected ) 2010 map is useful in identifying koala corridors and core areas . Other Tract Mapping and Koala Habitat Mapping by SEQ Catchments(5 data bases including Moggill Koala Hospital ) and Barrier Mapping pioneered by Alan Chenoweth and Pinch Point Mapping by Deidre De Villiers should be released
The Redland City Council ‘s $10M Koala Strategy 2008-2012 should be reported upon for the Koalas,Community and other Local Authorities/EHP. The new Federal Guidelines largely ignore koala population tipping points, fire impacts , genomes, climate change , buyback of severed corridors/use of mandatory green fauna infrastructure and roll back of Qld legislation where virtually nothing is protected.
Ted Fensom
Brisbane Region Environment Council

Please note: Offensive or off-topic comments will be deleted. If offended by any published comment please email thereporter@redlands2030.net

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.