Environmental groups demand Steven Miles, Gympie Council reinstate land clearing laws

Pressure continues to mount on Gympie Regional Council and the State Government over controversially repealed environment laws with groups saying neither body is doing anything to protect endangered koalas.

Pressure continues to mount on Gympie Regional Council over its environmental decisions with environmental groups urging the State or council to install interim protections against land clearing before its too late.

The Wide Bay Burnett Environment Council and Koala Action Group Gympie Region reiterated the call in the wake of comments by Mayor Glen Hartwig last week defending the council’s controversial repeal of two Temporary Planning Instruments.

Mr Hartwig denied accusations the council had allowed wholesale clearing of known koala habitats by removing the laws and that the council was speaking with environmental groups about is future plans.

WBBEC regional co-ordinator Mike Moller disputed the claims.

“The fact of the matter is that neither the Gympie Regional Council nor the Queensland Government are doing anything to urgently protect koala habitat in Gympie,” Mr Moller said.

He said WBBEC on Deputy Premier Steve Miles to urgently introduce a State TLPI to protect koala habitat “otherwise it will be too late.”

Environment groups have responded to comments by Mayor Glen Hartwig last week in which he said the council was working with groups and the State Government to bring new protections in early in 2022.

“Remaining koala habitat on the Southside of Gympie will be cleared and in all likelihood koalas will disappear from the area.

“WBBEC demands the State Government accept its responsibility to immediately act to protect Gympie koalas.”

Mr Hartwig and the council declined to respond to this letter.

Deputy Premier Steven Miles’ office has been contacted for comment.

The push for new interim protections was supported by Koala Action Gympie Region.

In a letter to Mr Hartwig, provided by the Wide Bay Bay Burnett Environment Council, KAGR president Robyn Jackson said the region should never had been left without protections for a prolonged period.

“This issue should never have gone on for so long, causing so much angst for all, not to mention loss of koala habitat.”

Environment groups, who protested the laws’ repeal in December 2020, say the region’s koalas have been left exposed by the lack of protections in the year since the decision.

Ms Jackson said the council had not provided any further information to the State Government to support its decision almost a year after it was made.

“This evidence has never been provided,” she said.

“You stated that you have been working with the State Government on this matter but failure to provide the evidence requested is hardly something we consider to be “working” with the State.”

She questioned claims of ongoing discussions with environment groups about the council’s plans.

“We would be interested in knowing which environment groups you have been talking to,” she said.

“We were most certainly not included nor were any of the other environment groups that make up the Gympie Region Environmental Advocacy Group (GREAT group).”

Meanwhile satellite images continued to show clearing at the Southside “known to contain koalas”.

“Residents have spotted and reported koalas nearby these clearings,” she said.

“If the TLPIs were to have remained in place, then at the very least, koala spotters would have been used during clearing activities and consideration of koalas habitat needs and connectivity would have been taken into account.

The State Government has been urged to step in and install their own planning laws in the region to protect the environment.

“Whilst the TLPIs were in place between February 2020 and December 2020, we can see no development application that was refused on Gympie DAs online, but rather many good outcomes where DAs were approved, and conditions imposed ensured that environmental values were considered, and impacts were minimised.”

Plans to introduce new protections in the first quarter of 2022 left the region’s environment exposed.

“The whole purpose of a TLPI is to ensure no inappropriate clearing occurs,” Ms Jackson said.

“Interim protections need to occur now.

“This delay is unacceptable and we request that Council or State immediately put into place measures to ensure the protection of local koala populations that live in our expanding urban areas.”