Developer says no koalas were killed during 22 hectare Arundel development

A GOLD Coast developer says no koalas were killed during the $22 million clearing and redevelopment of a prominent northern Gold Coast block of land.

EXPERTS say no koalas were harmed during the development of the $22 million block of land where the Colgate-Palmolive factory previously laid.

During the clearing of the 22ha Arundel lot, some locals voiced concerns to the Gold Coast Bulletin that electronic signs installed on Captain Cook Drive was a result of koalas being disrupted.

A council spokesman said this was not true and that there were around a dozen placed in different areas on the Gold Coast due to breeding season.

Watch out for koala sign on Captain Cook Drive, Arundel

“As it is now koala breeding season, they become very active looking for mates and we put signs up in various places all over the city so that people are aware they are about more than usual,” they said.

“There’s about a dozen of them across the Gold Coast.”

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At the unveiling of the Gold Coast Logistics Hub on Captain Cook Drive yesterday, Logos Property state manager Justin Sherlock confirmed the developers had taken stringent measures to ensure minimal disruption to the koala population and that they had no evidence any koalas were killed as a result of the development.

Artist impression of the Gold Coast Logistics Hub planned for former Colgate-Palmolive site at Arundel.

This included a four month research program looking into koala behaviours on the land, carried out by Dreamworld Wildlife Foundation Director Al Mucci.

Mr Sherlock said as a result of the consultation, Logos kept a portion of the land for koala habitat, installed safety features for koalas and made a sizeable donation to koala sustainability.

“As part of the revitalisation of the Gold Coast Logistics Hub, we’ve established a five hectare conservation area for the local koala habitat,” he said.

“This area is being rehabilitated with significant planting of native flora for koalas.

“As part of these works, significant koala fencing has been installed and appropriate access points have been established within culverts to allow them to safety traverse areas.

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Dreamworld Wildlife Director Al Mucci. Photo by Richard Gosling

“In addition, we have also invested $400,000 in a two year Captive Breeding Agreement, run by Dreamworld Wildlife Foundation, to support the rehabilitation, breeding, research and tracking of koalas within the local Gold Coast region.”

Mr Mucci, an environmental scientist and conservation expert, said “no harm came to any koalas during the process” (of development), but the ideal scenario to keep koalas safe was to drive safer or not develop at all.

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Wildlife Attendant Ashleigh Neal at Dreamworld’s koala breeding program announcement last year. Photo by Richard Gosling

“The developers have tried to do everything to protect the koalas,” he said.

“What we found was the animals that were living there weren’t actually residing there, they were moving around a fair bit and they’re just using that site as a corridor.

“Most of the site, even though it looks horrific when you drive past, the middle part was the factory and it was all cleared.

“It’s the cars on Captain Cook Drive and all these other things we can do better, but if we want to protect the koalas, we should have preserved that whole property.”