Have your say about protecting wildlife connection corridors in the Redlands

Consultation extended until 31 July

Redland City Council has extended the public consultation period for an amendment designed to incorporate the Council-endorsed Wildlife Connections Plan 2018-2028 into the City Plan within the urban footprint.

Have your say

The Redlands community can have a say about improving protection of wildlife connection corridors by amending the Redland City Plan.

Some years ago the Council prepared a detailed Wildlife Connections Plan but this document did not have any effect in protecting the habitat that wildlife such as koalas and wallabies need to move around the Redlands and beyond.

Eventually the Council resolved to incorporate the Wildlife Connections Plan into the City Plan, for urban areas of the Redlands.

Summary of proposed changes

Here is Redland City Council’s summary of the proposed City Plan amendments:

The amendment proposes that all clearing of native vegetation in mapped areas of affected public and private properties will be assessed against new assessment criteria in the City Plan.

The new assessment criteria require that the clearing of native vegetation in mapped areas is, firstly, avoided. Where avoidance is not reasonably possible, clearing of native vegetation needs to be minimised.

If there remains a loss of native vegetation, it would need to be offset with plantings. These stronger protections are proposed to apply to private and public properties across the City’s urban footprint.

Importantly, they are only proposed to apply to parts of private and public properties currently mapped in the City Plan or by the State Government as having a local or State environmental value.

The mapping has been reviewed to ensure it accurately reflects existing native vegetation. The amendment also updates Redland City Plan environmental mapping to reflect the current State environmental mapping, which is already in place to protect environmental values.

You can find more information about the proposed City Plan amendments on the Council’s webpage for Environmental Significance Overlay – Major Amendment.

Your say: wildlife connection corridors

To help protect wildlife connection corridors in the Redlands, make a brief submission to Redland City Council by 31 July 2023.

To ensure that your submission is regarded as a ‘properly made submission’, include your name and residential address.

Here is an example of how to make a short submission by email to rcc@redland.qld.gov.au

Firstly, put these words into the subject of the email:

Environmental significance overlay and Planning scheme policy amendments

Then copy the following text into your email

“Chief Executive Officer

Redland City Council

I support the Redland City Plan – Major Amendment – Environmental Significance Overlay (01/21).

I understand that this amendment will incorporate the Wildlife Connections Plan 2018–2028 into the City Plan.

The Wildlife Connection Plan identifies high value core habitat and corridors that will allow wildlife movement.

By protecting and retaining these high value wildlife areas, Redlands can prevent further fragmentation of habitat and loss of biodiversity. This will enable the maintenance of ecological processes, the movement of wildlife and support the continuation of viable wildlife populations.

I note that the identification of the areas to be protected as wildlife corridors is based on habitat mapping that accurately reflects existing native vegetation.

It is imperative that we do all that we can to ensure that wildlife can still move safely around in the Redlands.

I suggest that the Council also consider implementing protection of wildlife connection areas in rural areas of the Redlands.

Yours

[Name]

[Address]

You can modify this template email and it is a good idea to do so. Including additional information is particularly helpful.

For example, you may like to comment about how often you have seen koalas or other wildlife recently, compared with observations that you may have made many years ago.

You may wish to comment on some particular areas that have been mapped as wildlife connection areas.

But if you don’t have much time, at least try to make a brief submission supporting the proposed amendments so that the wildlife corridors get some protection.

Redlands2030 – 18 June 2023

Updated 23 June 2023 to incorporate the new closing date for submissions which is 31 July 2023.