Shock new law will require dog owners to put up fence to keep out koalas

Up to 54,000 Gold Coast property owners may need to upgrade their fencing to ensure dogs cannot attack koalas under a new council law.

UP to 54,000 Gold Coast property owners will need to review fencing to ensure their dogs cannot attack koalas living in nearby habitats.

The council’s planning committee has backed recommendations which for the first time in the city provide regulations for the keeping of a domestic dogs in a koala habitat area.

Using updated State Government mapping as a guide, the council plans to roll out a new law with a range of options including different fencing types which it maintains can be introduced at a minimal cost.

Fencing options proposed by council.

Residents will be required to put a metal strip on their fence, or use Colorbond fencing with shrubs to aid koalas escaping from their properties. A photograph in a council report also shows how a pole can be used to aid escapes.

Research provided to councillors show about 214 koalas were injured by domestic dogs on the Coast from 2010 to 2019.

The worst suburbs for koala-dog incidents were Elanora (44), Currumbin Waters (32), Tallebudgera and Tallebudgera Valley (36), Helensvale (24) and Currumbin Valley (12).

The council report outlines the following requirements for people who keep dogs in koala areas within the city.

• Ensure the safety of any koala that enters the premises by restraining or confining all dogs during the entire period that the koala is present on the premises, so that the dog is unable to make contact.

• Ensure the premises either excludes a koala from accessing the area where a dog is kept or contains structures or facilities which could facilitate escape for any koala that enters the area.

• Ensure that if no-one resides on the premises, that the dog enclosure excludes koalas.

• All people that keep a dog within a koala area on a premises greater than 2000 square metres must confine the dog between sunset and sunrise to a secure enclosure.

• Or owners must tether the dog to an attached leash or chain not longer than 3m, or construct and maintain an enclosure.

Koala mapping for the north of the Gold Coast — pink areas are acquired habitat.

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Residents will be advised they can secure a continuous strip of metal or perspex at least 600mm in height to the top rear side of an existing fence.

Alternatives include constructing metal sheeting like Colorbond, or a rendered brick fence which prevents a grip for a koala to climb.

The recommendations will go to full council before being presented to a future governance and administration Committee, to start the process of making the Animal Management (Amendment) Local Law.

The council report estimates about 54,000 properties with registered dogs are within a proposed designated koala area.

“It is anticipated the majority of dog owners will not need to make any changes to their property in order to comply with the proposed requirements, with some properties potentially requiring only minimal actions for keeping a dog in a koala area,” the report said.

Koala habitat mapping for southern Gold Coast — pink areas are acquired habitat, green is for the State.

Hinterland councillor Peter Young supports the new law and is hopeful the full council will back the report given threats to the city’s koala population.

“On my reading of it, there wouldn’t be a huge number of properties affected,” he said.

“It is a reasonable outcome to pursue. The measures than can be implemented are not necessarily overwhelming in cost.”