Qld Govt called on to save Gympie koalas from extinction

Gympie council has been blasted by the Wide Bay Burnett Environment Council for failing to protect koala and wildlife habitats from an unprecedented land clearing rush it says threatens to make some local koala populations extinct.

Gympie Regional Council has been accused of allowing wholesale clearing of known koala habitats to the extent that a Wide Bay-wide environmental group says koala populations in the region are at risk of being all but wiped out.

Almost a year ago, the council removed Temporary Local Planning Instruments (TLPIs), which regulated vegetation clearing in residential zoned areas. Those protections ensured that koalas, wildlife corridors and other environmental values were considered before clearing occurred.

The Wide Bay Burnett Environment Council now says that since then, “as feared, uncontrolled clearing of koala habitat has been occurring in areas known to support koala populations”.

The koala populations were mapped in various scientific reports, obtained through a Right to Information application, a WBBEC spokesperson said.

“Council went as far as sending a letter out to certain residents to advise them that they no longer required an application to council for clearing vegetation,” said Mike Moller of WBBEC.

Satellite imagery had since detected extensive clearing of private property, especially on the Southside.

“There is a real risk that koalas could become functionally extinct in this part of the region,” he said.

“It’s time for the State Government to act to protect koalas, given the council will not.”

Ten hectares cleared recently at Pie Creek for a subdivision.

Mr Moller said information obtained from the council and the Department of State Development, Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning “highlights that Deputy Premier Steven Miles was made aware of the council’s intention to remove the koala protections just days before the vote on the repeal.

“He and his department asked council to urgently delay the decision, especially as it greatly affected Matters of State Environmental Significance (MSES),” he said.

“These requests were ignored by council and continue to be ignored.

“Further information obtained from RTIs show that council’s then Strategic Planning manager advised the council that if the TLPIs were repealed the risk of large-scale clearing was very real: ‘There is a real risk (with precedents) of wholesale/significant pre-emptive clearing as a consequence of having no vegetation clearing controls in place in the planning scheme or other statutory mechanism’.

“He also advised, ‘Given the satisfaction of the Minister’s tests for making a TLPI, i.e., a significant risk of serious adverse environmental conditions, if the TLPI’s were to be repealed, the Minister may direct a particular action in relation to the TLPI’s/Amendment Package”.

“This was in addition to other advice that was ignored prior to the meeting to repeal the TLPIs,” Mr Moller said.

Zerner Rd Pie Creek, Gympie proposed 67-lot subdivision.

“Furthermore, when council repealed the TLPIs they assured the public and the State Government that a Biodiversity and Koala Habitat Development Strategy Reference Group would be created to ensure future protections for biodiversity, but there has been only one ad-hoc meeting to date.

“Council also promised interim protection measures, and RTIs sourced indicate that Mr Miles also requested this, saying, “... I do consider there are matters of state interest at risk and I would like to encourage the council to consider re-introducing interim planning controls to ensure the protection of (these) state interests.

“The repeals took place almost 11 months ago and still no interim protections are in place.

“WBBEC and local residents are frustrated neither the council nor the State are taking action to protect koalas and important biodiversity in the region.

“Various groups have approached both Mr Miles and Environment Minister Scanlon multiple times and requested meetings with them both, to no avail. Concerned residents have written a number of letters and complaints to council and the Qld Government, a petition with almost 50,000 signatures has gone viral and hundreds of phone calls have been made to both Council and the State, again, with no further action and continued clearing and development in areas that should be protected.

Gympie Regional Council is under fire for not putting any protections in place for known koala and wildlife habitats near Gympie after revoking its controversial land clearing laws almost a year ago.

“While the state assures us that they care about this issue and are taking the necessary steps, the available information shows that the Qld Government first asked Council over 10 months ago for more information as to why they removed the koala protections. To date and to our knowledge, none of this information has since been provided by Council to the Government. As the Council refuses to take any real action to protect koala habitat in the Gympie Region, the State Government must act.

“It is simply untenable that Gympie Regional Council is the only urbanised Council in Southern Queensland that has no koala habitat protections in place to prevent uncontrolled clearing in urban areas.”

Mr Moller said that with bushfires, climate change and clearing of koala habitat placing koala populations under “enormous stress”, it was a death by a thousand cuts scenario.

“In this case, the cuts are coming thick and fast. When will our elected representatives step up, put their money where their mouth is and enforce our already weak environmental laws?”

Gympie Regional Council and Mr Miles’ office were both asked for a response to the accusations made by WBBEC but had not responded at time of publishing.

Originally published as Qld Govt called on to save Gympie koalas from extinction