Conservation park clearing was carefully managed, says department

THE Department of Environment and Science has moved to allay concerns over the impact of tree clearing in Albany Creek’s Bunyaville Conservation Park after a local resident was horrified to find a number of large trees — some she believed were more than 100 years old — had been felled.

Large trees have been felled during fireline upgrade clearing in the Bunyaville Conservation Park.

THE Department of Environment and Science has moved to allay concerns over the impact of tree clearing in Albany Creek’s Bunyaville Conservation Park.

Local resident Gael Paul was horrified to visit the park this week and discover a number of large trees — some she believed were more than 100 years old — had been felled.

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While the clearing is part of a “fireline upgrade”, Mrs Paul feared koala habitats were being destroyed during the “destruction”.

“When will this encroachment on our wildlife and bush stop?” she asked.

“They just take a little at a time and in the end there isn’t sufficient left to sustain a koala habitat, for example.

“If they are taking extreme, extra measures due to global warming then population growth is a big part of the problem and trees are part of the solution.

“These green belts are our lungs in Brisbane City. They are also habitat. It is being eaten away with no consultation with the community, that I am aware of.

“Our rates attract a surcharge to buy green belts and yet we witness these belts being trashed.”

Tree clearing in the Bunyaville Conservation Park.

Mrs Paul said if the clearing was being done to protect nearby homes, it was worth remembering that the bushland was there first.

“The bush was there before housing so when people bought in there, they accepted the status quo.

“It is a risk they were obviously prepared to take and no doubt even liked it. Some have flammable wooden fences and shrubs/trees in their yards.

“It is therefore not acceptable for potentially koala and hardwood trees that are decades old get trashed.”

A spokesman for the Department of Environment and Science said the interest in Bunyaville Conservation Park and its ecosystems was appreciated but the trees were being removed by Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) to make wider firelines and help protect neighbouring homes.

The Department of Environment and Science says no koalas were threatened by clearing in the Bunyaville Conservation Park.

The works included removing most overstorey trees and understorey and mid-level vegetation for up to 15m from the park boundaries, she said.

“A fireline is not effective nor safe if individual trees are left standing in the middle of the fireline. These works have reduced the risk of trees falling and carrying fire across the break, as well as improved access for emergency vehicles.

“The works were done after significant environmental impact assessment, including assessing impacts on wildlife such as koalas.

“QPWS also carried out Aboriginal cultural heritage assessments and inspections with a representative of the Turrbal people.”

About 50 trees were removed in the works, including spotted gum, ironbark and grey gum.

Wildlife spotters were on site at all times during the works.

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QPWS, in collaboration with the Department of Education, would be planting trees elsewhere within Bunyaville Conservation Park to offset trees removed during the clearing.

To keep the community informed about the project, QPWS held street meetings and letterbox drops in March/April and posted information online.

It also liaised with individual neighbours to manage concerns and issues.

The DES spokesman said QPWS would continue to conduct planned burns at intervals of four to seven years to reduce fuel loads in the park.

Koala Action president/secretary Wanda Grabowski said while Bunyaville Conservation Park was considered a valuable koala habitat under State Government definitions, the area near the clearing was not considered primary koala habitat.

All the surveys undertaken there to date had shown some koala activity lower down along the creek line that transected the property, rather than up on the ridges.