Mary St shoppers want more wildlife protection but say housing crisis has higher priority
A survey of Mary St shoppers has revealed that while the protection of koalas from developers and bulldozers is important, solving the region’s housing crisis is a higher priority.
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Gympie Regional Council last month adopted planning laws aimed at providing some protection for local wildlife from developers and their bulldozers.
The loss of habitat – for koalas especially – has been a controversial issue in the region given the level of land clearing and new subdivisions underway to accommodate a growing population and alleviate the housing crisis.
A survey of shoppers in Mary Street on Tuesday revealed a genuine concern for local wildlife and a desire to see them protected, but not at the expense of the need to address the housing crisis.
Shoppers were asked if they thought authorities were doing enough to protect local wildlife.
The $1 billion Gympie Bypass, for example, was viewed as necessary infrastructure, but its construction should place attention on protecting wildlife, locals said.
Many shoppers voiced their support for more koala protection, and rehabilitating habitat and relocating impacted wildlife.
“We need more funding in rehabilitation,” shoppers Nicole Lowe and Lousia Castellao said. But infrastructure was also important.
Some shoppers also believed that domestic animal laws should be reviewed to avoid damage to habitats by pets, and governments should set aside more land for the relocation of koalas.
“There’s no rule on domestic animals,” K. Goleby said.
“If there’s no land to rehab, where are they going to go?” Vivien Eardley said.
“It would be a shame if there wasn’t any (koalas).”
The region’s tight rental market of 0.2 per cent made the housing crisis the most pressing issue, shoppers said.
“Who’s going to care about the environment when all this is happening?” said Alex Allpress.
“(Governments should) focus more on housing prices,” she said.
“They could do a lot more,” Beris Stephans from Chatsworth said, when discussing government action.
Allison from Veteran said “they must go in and find them and relocate them.”
Richard Novell from Southside said, “rehabilitation is the most important thing.”
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