Qld Koala Society: Chandler rescue centre reeling after land clearing

A koala rescue centre in Brisbane’s east say they have been blindsided by their neighbour’s land clearing, which required a wild koala to be rescued, in an apparent failure of the State Government’s controversial koala maps.

A koala and native fauna sanctuary in Brisbane’s east is reeling after a neighbour’s land clearing for a new residence left “possums scrambling across the ground in front of our very eyes” and a koala stranded up a tree destined for the mulcher.

Environment Minister Leanne Enoch and the Department of Environment and Science (DES) are now “urgently” being lobbied to include the land in their much-maligned State Koala Habitat Map, after Brisbane City Council (BCC) said they had no basis in legislation to assess the development.

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The co-founder of Chandler’s Queensland Koala Society, Angela Christodoulou, has described her week since Saturday morning, when her neighbour began removing trees to construct a new dwelling, as “one of the worst experiences of my life”.

The clearing has since stopped due to a massive grassroots campaign by the society – one post on Facebook was shared nearly 1000 times – leading to involvement by Chandler Councillor Ryan Murphy, Chatsworth MP Steve Minnikin, Environment Minister Leanne Enoch, Federal Member for Bonner Ross Vasta, and BCC and DES officers.

Queensland Koala Society founder Angela Christodoulou on land cleared adjacent to her rescue centre at 1686 Old Cleveland Rd, Chandler. Picture: Supplied

However, Ms Christodoulou estimated up to 30 mature trees and 30 saplings had already been removed right up to the shared fence line, which she said had been compromised, leading to concerns her other animals, like the free-roaming kangaroos and wallabies, may escape out onto busy Old Cleveland Rd.

Animal rescue charity The Rescue Collective, which sent four volunteers on Tuesday to help secure the fence, described what they saw when they arrived on social media.

Land right next to Qld Koala Society has been cleared, destroying habitat of koalas and native fauna. Chandler, Brisbane, 22nd of October 2020. (News Corp/Attila Csaszar)

“What was once a beautiful wall of thick and luscious plants, scribbly gums and eucalyptus is now completely bare – gone,” they said.

“The corridor of green life that once sheltered wildlife, provided shade, housed birds and fed many has been literally ripped from the earth, plucked out like toothpicks.

“Birds circled above us screaming for their lost homes and young.

“Possums scrambled across the ground in front of our very eyes and up naked trees desperately seeking shelter.”

Angela Christodoulou feeding 15-month-old koala joey 'Geraldine', Thursday in 2019. Picture: Richard Walker/AAP

Ms Christodoulou said on Monday afternoon, the second day of clearing at her neighbours’, she spotted a koala nestled in the crown of a tree which had already had branches stripped of it.

It was not able to be rescued until about 2am on Tuesday morning, when it was relocated to Gumdale.

Koala in a tree at 675 Tilley Rd Chandler which was destined for the mulcher as part of land clearing. Picture: Supplied

According to Cr Murphy, the land clearing was authorised under a privately certified application for a single dwelling home on a residential lot, so it was not picked up by council, as under the relevant legislation they have no power to assess such applications.

Excavator visible just over the Queensland Koala Society's fence. Picture: Facebook

Cr Murphy blamed the State Government’s deficient koala habitat maps.

“If a development application was made to council, it would have considered our Koala Habitat Overlay, which the property sits inside,” he said.

“Unfortunately, as no development application was required to be made to council (under State law), the only legislation which could have prevented this outcome is the State Koala Habitat Map.

The left map shows the relevant area entirely covered by Brisbane City Council's Koala Habitat Overlay; the right map shows an arbitrary line on the State Government's State Koala Habitat Map. Picture: Facebook/ Cr Ryan Murphy.

“Frustratingly, this property sits just outside the State Koala Habitat Map, which is clearly wrong and needs to be changed.

“While the clearing has been halted, for now, I have... written to the Environment Minister Leanne Enoch to request she urgently amend the State Koala Habitat Map to include this property in the protected zone.

“This would make any clearing on the property an offence, punishable by serious fines and potential jail time.

“I’m really sorry this happened and I’m at a loss to explain why a property that koalas were actually living on, wasn’t on the State’s own koala habitat map, which has only just been released.”

Land right next to Qld Koala Society, has been cleared, destroying habitat of koalas and native fauna. Chandler, Brisbane, 22nd of October 2020. (News Corp/Attila Csaszar)

A DES representative said the department takes koala protection measures “seriously”.

“We received a report that included allegations of illegal land clearing in Chandler,” they said. “An investigation is currently underway in collaboration with Brisbane City Council to determine if there have been any offences under the Nature Conservation Act 1992 and Planning Regulation 2017.

“Due to the government being in caretaker mode, we are unable to comment on government policy matters.”