Queensland Government fails to protect koala habitat

Tyler, one of the Toondah koalas, at rest in the Toondah Harbour Priority Development Area.

The Queensland Government has failed to assure the community that it’s serious about protecting koalas and koala habitat in South East Queensland (SEQ), in a ministerial response to a petition signed by thousands of Queensland residents.

The petition, signed by 3,819 people, called on the State Government to:

• List the koala as ‘critically endangered’ in SEQ since the rapid decline of koala populations is unlikely to be stemmed by the implementation of the draft Koala Conservation Strategy
• Implement stronger planning laws that will be effective in protecting koala habitat (the exemptions in the current draft Koala Conservation Strategy allow unsustainable clearing to continue, especially in the urban footprint)
• Implement the recommendations from the Queensland Koala Expert Panel, including the recommendation to protect koala habitat within the urban footprint
• Reinstate the previously protected Koala Habitat Areas that were removed in the recent mapping in the draft SEQ Koala Conservation Strategy
• Declare a moratorium on the removal of koala habitat, including significant isolated trees in the urban footprint, until such time that effective koala habitat planning protections are in place
• Withdraw the Toondah Harbour ‘Priority Development Area’ at Cleveland that threatens the future of a significant healthy breeding koala colony.

Koalas are critically endangered

Nine years ago koalas in Queensland and NSW were listed as ‘vulnerable to extinction’ under Australia’s national environment laws, the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act.

Clearly this level of protection has been inadequate as it has allowed ‘business as usual’ to continue destroying koala habitat.

The State Government should be proactively advocating for the conservation status of koalas to be increased from ‘vulnerable’ to ‘critically endangered’ in South East Queensland (SEQ).

But in her response to the petition, the Minister gives no indication that the State Government is seeking any increased conservation status for koalas in Queensland.

Koala habitat needs better protection

Over the past three decades koala populations have reduced by more than 80% in some areas of south east Queensland – including the ‘Koala Coast’ region that takes in all of the Redlands.

Obviously, Queensland’s planning laws have been totally ineffective in protecting koalas. Many loopholes have allowed koala habitat to be cleared unhindered in south east Queensland.   

A moratorium on the clearing of koala habitat should have been implemented many years ago.

Urban koala populations are in dire trouble and need real protection – sooner rather than later.  

The final South East Queensland Koala Conservation Strategy, released by the State Government in August 2020, contains no immediate actions that will give greater protection to urban koalas.  

It appears that loopholes and exemptions have been designed to allow ‘business as usual’ for those industries which destroy koala habitat. Good news for property developers but bad news for koalas.

What happened to the Koala Expert Panel’s recommendations?

The Koala Expert Panel (KEP), appointed in July 2016, are to be commended for many of their recommendations and especially their acknowledgment of the importance of protecting urban koala populations and their habitat.  

The Expert Panel provided some excellent advice to the the State Government in its Interim Report which was released in March 2017 and its Final Report which was released in May 2018.

Instead of acting immediately to protect koalas in south east Queensland, in 2018 the Government formed the Koala Advisory Council (KAC) to help develop the draft SEQ Koala Conservation Strategy 2019-2024.

The membership of KAC included representatives of the property development, forestry, tourism and zoo industries and the Local Government Association of Queensland.

Dr Bill Ellis is the only koala ecologist expert listed on the KAC. He attended only one of the ten meetings, according to KAC meeting minutes, so presumably his input was minimal.  

Koala habitat loss will continue

When the State Government released its draft SEQ Koala Conservation Strategy in late December 2019 the most obvious concern for the Redlands was that the area of protected koala habitat had been reduced by thousands of hectares.

Since the draft strategy and koala mapping was first published, some areas have been added back as protected koala habitat. But many areas of known koala habitat are still not recognized and protected.

Koala habitat status does not guarantee protection

Some aspects of the new koala habitat mapping are quite absurd when considered together with the Government’s new regulations and exemptions.

For example a small area of koala habitat at Cowley Street in Ormiston containing many mature eucalyptus trees has been recognized by the State Government as koala habitat.

But the Government’s regulations will allow clear felling of up to 500m2 of koala habitat on properties zoned residential. The properties in Cowley Street are all less than 500 m2.

Many important habitat areas including some of the coastal corridor areas have not been included in the State Government’s koala mapping. 

The idea that landowners will nominate to have their properties included in the koala mapping is disingenuous as most landowners left out of the mapping are not aware of it. 

Additionally, the option for property owners to apply to revoke mapping from their properties is also fraught with problems due to self-interest motives.

The Toondah Harbour plan will harm koalas

An example of an area selectively excluded from the koala mapping is the vital coastal corridor in the Redlands, including the Toondah Harbour precinct area. 

This foreshore area is indisputably a well renowned koala area (supported by KAG’s GPS Koala Tracking Study). 

Yet this area has been left out of the mapping which is completely unacceptable and makes a farce of the Government’s entire koala mapping process.  

The Labor State Government’s failure to acknowledge that they got it wrong by their continuing support of Toondah Harbour being declared a ‘Priority Development Area’ by the former LNP government  is reprehensible.

It sends a message that not only does the State Government support destroying Ramsar wetlands, but they are also prepared to risk the future of a healthy breeding koala population in the Redlands.

Debbie Pointing

President
Koala Action Group

Environment Minister’s response to petition

Here is the Environment Minister’s response to the petition calling for better protection of koalas in south east Queensland:

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Redlands2030 – 26 January 2021