Security cameras and koala protection will be discussed at Redland City Council’s meeting on Wednesday.
Downgrading koala protection on a Thornlands property and adoption of a security camera policy are among items to be discussed at Redland City Council’s general meeting on Wednesday.
Officers recommend koala habitat protection downgrade
Yellow shows the property boundary, green shows current koala habit protection and red shows where officers recommend protection be reduced to Medium Value Rehabilitation.
Property developer Harridan Pty Ltd wants koala habitat protection at 14-20 Bonnie Street in Thornlands reduced from High Value Bushland Habitat to Medium Value Rehabilitation Habitat.
This reclassification would make it easier to gain approval for plans to subdivide and develop this 4.9 hectare property.
A report by the applicant’s arborist (Gondwana Ecology Group) says the “actual koala value” of the land is limited.
Council officers disagree, noting the identification of 236 non-juvenile koala habitat trees within the development footprint.
Officers recommend that more than half of the High Value Bushland area be downgraded to medium value rehabilitation habitat which could result in the area being cleared for development.
Councillors recently considered a recommendation by officers for koala habitat reduction on a property at Unwin Road Redland Bay and voted 6/3 to keep the current koala habitat protection.
Redlands koalas in good shape
Koalas in Cleveland
Redland City’s koalas are “ecologically functional” according to a report by council officers.
A survey of the Redlands’ koala population found that mainland areas contain substantive areas where koalas have existed for at least three recent
generations, mainly in the north of the City,
Despite the pressures of urbanisation, 68% of Redlands’ koala habitat is being utilised, considerably higher than other councils surveyed using the same method.
The officers report says it is imperative that the remaining koala population remains ecologically functional and not be allowed to dip below a critical threshold.
Security camera policy
Video cameras were installed in the Bayview Conservation area as part of Council’s upgrade project completed in March 2018.
Redland City Council currently has 160 video surveillance security cameras but is regularly asked to install additional cameras to address community safety issues including violent and anti-social behaviour.
Redland City’s crime rate is the lowest of major cities in south east Queensland according to an officers report to council about security cameras. The report says:
Redland’s LGA had the lowest number of reported offences (8,864) and the lowest rate of offences per 100,000 persons (5,758) whilst Ipswich and Logan have the highest rates of reported offences.
The report says the cost to purchase and install unmonitored cameras is estimated to be between $15,000 – $150,000 per location.
The cost of having monitored cameras can be much higher. The report says Logan City spent $1.3 million setting up a monitoring centre. Annual costs of monitoring cameras could be $600,000 per year.
Officers are proposing a policy which in essence says security cameras should only be used in limited situations.
Park to be named after Dan Holzapfel
Councillors will consider a proposal to name a park in Victoria Point after Redlands resident Dan Holzapfel who was named Redland’s Citizen of the Year 2018.
Mr Holzapfel aged 95 is a former Redland Shire councillor well known for his financial support for worthy causes including the Redland Museum, Rotary and the Redlands Foundation.
In 2016 he donated $1,000 to Mayor Karen Williams’ re-election campaign.
Other business
Other items on the meeting agenda include:
- Presentation of an interim financial report for 2017/18 which shows an operating deficit of $11.9 million, about $800,000 worse than budget.
- Council’s Health Care and Social Assistance Industry Sector Plan 2018-2023, for endorsement
Three items on the agenda have been listed as closed session items, for discussion without media or the public present:
- Land Tenure Action Proposal, North Stradbroke Island
- Contents of the City Plan General Amendment Package
- Sponsorship Round 2 2017/18 Applications over $15,000
Attending the meeting
The meeting will be held at the Council chambers in Bloomfield Street Cleveland commencing at 9:30am on Wednesday 25 July.
Members of the public can observe proceedings from the public gallery except for matters discussed when the meeting is closed to the public.
Members of the public have an opportunity to address council at general meetings.
Here is a link to the meeting agenda.
Redlands2030 – 22 July 2018
Please note: Offensive or off-topic comments will be deleted. If offended by any published comment please email thereporter@redlands2030.net
4 Comments
Have Redlands2030 retrieved this Redlands City Council Koala Report and compared the Urban Footprint 2004, 2009 and 2017 against the SLATS landclearing reports and maps 2004 to date and against Jim Thompsons PhD Koala thesis 2006?
Re: naming park after Dan Holzapfel. Dan has been overly generous in his financial contributions to mayor’s campaign and more recently giving a substantial amount to aid victims of domestic violence, etc. I met Dan personally on learning that, along with sister Una, pressure was applied to where they felt it necessary to sell their turf farm situated between Redland Bay Road and Coolnwynpin Creek in Capalaba. I live adjacent to Finucane Road, but from front yard could see the green turf… today a sea of roofs as prolific builder Mr Fiteni transformed the turf farm into an industrial park. Meeting was held with Crotona Rd residents by creek, at end of Sagamore St with Cr Williams as result of advice that a toxic industry was considered to be built there. This park is sadly neglected and most certainly can’t be said for families in the area up to units at 19 Crotona Rd that there are, and I quote from recent ‘our Redlands magazine’ that there are fun times ahead with parks’ magic makeovers. There was more in this park a decade ago, as all you see there are the usual pair slides & swings. Nothing else to encourage visits for ‘fun in the park’ in Capalaba.
As the builders’ adage of “build them, and they will come” seems to have been given such free rein in the Redlands, why not reverse the same in favour of koalas in the planting of trees – rather than downgrading a site, plant even more trees and create more corridors, wildlife friendly road crossings etc. Instead of more committees, more meetings the more actions to actually assist and not take away what koalas actually use!!!
Quote from Cr Paul Golle’s Face Book page :
“Private land management practices have caused the reduction of the High Value Bush Land Habitat, not natural selection and so therefore the site can be rejuvenated, correcting the clearing and maintaining the current state mapped designation, without down grading the site for the sake of the development application.”