Save the Koala

Media Release

Monday, January 21, 2008

Only days away before the calling of Local Government Elections the Redland Shire Council appear set to approve a massive increase in quarry trucks on local roads, posing a major threat to both people and wildlife.

In August 2005, Council issued a Negotiated Decision Notice allowing for the expansion of the quarry. The conditions included:

• a maximum extraction rate of two million tonnes per annum, able to be increased by 10% due to market demand;
• truck movements limited to about 260 trucks each way each day, with allowable short term increase due to market demand by 20% (i.e. up to about 312 trucks).

At the Redland Shire Council Development Asessment Commitee meeting, scheduled for Tuesday 22 January 2008 commencing at 10:00am at Council Chambers, council appears it will approve a further increase.

2.3 The number of truck movements is to be limited to levels as detailed in the Beard Traffic Engineering report (i.e. an average of up to 453 trucks each way each day), with short-term fluctuations of up to 20% on a rolling 12 month average to respond to short-term market conditions (source: Redland Shire Council Minutes and Agendas Jan-Apr 08)

Mr Baltais spokesperson for the Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland Bayside Branch said, "Increasing the truck movement from 260 trucks to 453 trucks represents an increased threat to people and wildlife."

The consultancy report states, quarry truck volumes are likely to rise from a current level of 560 trip ends per average day to 906 (61% increase).

"Particularly disturbing is the fact that this rate of truck movement is to be allowed to increase to 543 trucks each way each day due to a 20% fluctuation clause suggested by the Redland Shire Council report." said Mr. Baltais.

Mr Baltais said, "Anyone who travels this road already knows they have to run the gauntlet of heavy trucks and certainly wildlife are going to struggle to get across from one side of the road to the other alive given this massive increase in traffic."

Mr. Baltais said, “The Redland Shire Council knows the koala population has declined by 27% in the Redland Shire in less than 7 years, and the second biggest killer of koalas is vehicles. So it begs the question why you would increase heavy vehicle movement through the Koala Conservation Area, this is the habitat of greatest importance to the koala, habitat that provides koalas some chance of survival.

"However, the most disturbing factor of all is that Councillors will be deciding this matter only days away from the start of the Local Government election. Any reasonable council surely would leave this significant decision to the new council given the negative impacts will span over many many years." said Mr. Baltais.

Simon Baltais
Secretary
WPSQBB
Mb: 0447 539 968

Media Statement , 14 October 2007

disclaimer: The opinions of Councillor Henry are not necessarily those of Redland Shire Council

In a move to address plummeting koala numbers in urban areas, Redland Shire Councillor Debra Henry is asking State and Local Governments to rethink why and where they purchase particular properties.

The Redland Planning Scheme's 'infill' development means that many urban properties have the ability to 'double up' creating two homes where once there was one. It's an undeniable reality that this will mean the loss of koala food trees and severing of vegetation 'corridors'.

Research data released by the Environmental Protection Agency last month at the Wildlife Preservation Society's Threatened Species Day Forum, revealed a 47% decline in urban koalas over the last seven years.

It is obvious that koalas are having a tough time making it through our urban areas now. A reasonable conclusion is that this will only be made more difficult as infill occurs.

Despite loss of habitat and dogs being well-known threats, planning documents and Local Laws still fail to adequately address these matters.

Often trees are felled because of the 'fear of falling' or 'leaf nuisance' factors; and dogs are not restrained when owners feel they have the 'right to roam'.

Council currently uses the Environment Levy to purchase vacant land that has habitat or linkage values. But if Council were to consider purchasing urban properties that were part of a defined corridor, that also contained houses, there could be multiple benefits.

In a landlord-tenant arrangement, Council could effectively manage koala food trees and through a tenancy agreement, condition restraint of dogs which under Council's current Local Law only applies to properties larger than 2000sq m in koala management areas.

These council-owned and managed residential properties could stand as examples of how people, koala food trees, dogs and koalas can co-exist when effective maintenance programs and animal management practices are in place.

The State Government could do likewise, by including 'koala preservation' as criteria for the purchase of public housing.

Redland has .5% less public housing than the State average and with all the recent concerns about 'housing affordability' it's not unreasonable to ask the State and Local governments to come to the negotiation table on this.

It is hoped that the upcoming Redland Shire Council Koala Summit will give this proposal consideration.

Dear Sir's and Madame's,

The date is the 4th of Sept 2007 the time 10am, the place Redland Shire Council Chambers. The Agenda, extended working hours at the (yet to be built) Golden Cockerel Boning Factory in Mt Cotton Village from the approved 12 hrs to 17 hrs per day.

The Story so Far ...

In June 2007 our gallant 'Seccombe Six', voted 6/5 against strong opposition from Residents of Redland Shire and the other Limp Wristed 5 Councillors who had gathered at the round table, to approve a Boning Factory in the Village. Although the Proposed Factory is only 100 metres from Residents Homes and is in the Koala Coast Area, protected under the Nature Conservation (Koala) Plan 2006, their resolve did not waver. Despite the intense pressure to yield, our Six Brave Stalwarts of Industry voted in Favour of Golden Cockerel building its Factory in the Village with working hours of 6am - 6pm. 12hrs a day 6 days a week.

But wait... this is not the end of the Story ...

Golden Cockerel goes back to Council and asks for an extension to the working hours, 3am-10pm 19hrs a day they cry. They are concerned that the Company cannot make enough profit in 12hr days, six days a week. If the People want cheap Chickens, then that is the price Residents of Mt Cotton must pay for the benefit of us all, and Rightly So! I don't want to pay more for my chicken! Who does?

On the 21st of August 2007, after listening to the Village Residents concerns about losing sleep, and the Tree Hugging Koala Lovers, claiming that more Wildlife would perish because they move around from Dusk to Dawn. Shock! Horror! The Councilors rejected the bid 7-4?. I could see the price of chickens going up!

Damn the Residents and Damn those Greenies!! It was one of the worst days of my life!

But wait? all is not lost! A Shining Sword rose out of the Lake of Despair in the form of Cr Peter Dowling. This Brave Knight of Redlands Industry lodged a Rescind Motion for Development reassessment to be held at RSC on Tue 4th Sept 2007.

My Heart raced, I could see the price of chicken coming down before my eyes. What was his cunning plan of attack and could he snatch victory from the jaws of defeat?

A short time passes and we find our Brave Warriors back at the Round Table

The scene is set. The Public Gallery is full of Greenies and Concerned Residents; some even brought their children in the belief that the Councilors cared enough to give a Sympathy Vote.

One by one the Troublesome Voters came forward stating their well informed opinions. Factories should be built in Industrial Estates not Conservation areas they said. Whining about minor issues. Whining about the loss of Bushland, Koalas, wildlife, and local amenity. The Residents case was strong. They were passionate about their rural paradise, and some even believed that their elected representatives would support them. One Resident of the Village Addressed the Council waving a petition which carried over 1000 names protesting against the longer operation hours.

I nearly burst out laughing, didn't he know our Council gives Petitions the short shrift?

I was getting hungry and hoping that all these mere constituents would not cause our Brave Crusaders will to falter. Perhaps I should leave now and buy some chicken before the price goes up! If one was a cynic he could believe that this had been a pre-planned coup.

The Applicant had reduced the working hours request to a 5am-10pm - a mere 17hrs a day 6 six days a week. That was a Coup-de-Grace two Councilors needed to change their previous vote, Cr Karen Williams and Cr Alan Beard jumped ship. So once again our Gallant and Courageous 'Seccombe six' triumphed and the day was won. (I am sure that Cr Williams securing Golden Cockerel as a Major Supporter to the Redlands Spring Festival to which she is the Chair had no effect on her stance.)

The Moral... If I can use that term in such esteemed company?

If you want cheap chicken, then Factories need to be built near Residential estates. Flora and Fauna need to be dispensed with. Koalas must die and be injured. Residents need to suffer Noise and discomfort 17 hrs a day.
Industry before Conservation or Community, the message is clear.

Me. I salute Our Brave Councilors.

It takes a lot of courage to keep voting for Obnoxious and Inappropriate Developments to benefit all the Redlands Residents, (not to mention the Captains of Industry).

Recent Approved Applications include:

• 401 Redland Bay Rd.
  Biomass Plant
• Golden Cockerel Boning Plant Mt Cotton
  Longer Operating Hours for Boning Plant.

Let's hope they have the Guts to approve the Super Quarry.. Go the 'Seccombe Six', charge across this mighty shire upon the back of development!

I propose that we have a Redlands Hall of Fame and I nominate the following six Councilors that, so far, seem to always vote Pro Development:

• Cr Don Seccombe
• Cr Alan Barker
• Cr Peter Dowling
• Cr John Burns
• Cr Alan Beard
• Cr Karen Williams

Perhaps they could replace the Koala and Bay on our Council Logo.

Yes, we can all sleep soundly tonight in the knowledge that Chickens are not the only things going cheap in Mt Cotton!

Deborah Tabart, Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Koala Foundation has written to the Queensland Environment Minister (see #letter">below) asking the the status of Koalas in the South East Queensland bio-region be upgraded from their current listing of 'vulnerable' to 'endangered' as a result of the alarming recent increase of Koala deaths. Deborah Tabart wrote:

In Redland Shire alone a total of 362 koalas were taken into care, only 96 animals appear to have survived. A shocking 73.5% death rate. What is more disturbing from these statistics is that the deaths appear to be mainly disease related, which is clearly an indication of stress, which could well be caused by habitat loss. Although many blame cars and dogs as a primary cause of koala deaths, these statistics indicate that those deaths were minor, compared to the diseased animals. This is a disturbing trend.

The letter concluded:

Given these high death rates, it is hard to imagine that koala births in the Redland's Shire are outweighing the deaths, a sure sign of impending localised extinction.

I call on you to immediately upgrade the koala listing to Endangered and give South-East Queensland's koalas a better chance for survival.

Human population growth driving Koalas to extinction

The underlying driver which threatens the Koala with extinction has been the population growth deliberately encouraged by successive Queensland Governments. Since 1974, Queensland's total population has more than doubled from 2 million in 1974 to well over 4 million today. So, it should be little wonder that with their habitats encroached upon by residential estates, roads, industrial estates, quarries, power lines and other infrastructure that the numbers of Koalas and other Australian native wildlife has declined steeply.

Yet, in spite of this, the growing water shortages, the strains on electricity generation, traffic congestion and the overall decline in the quality of life for the human residents of Queensland, the Queensland Government persists with its reckless policy of encouragement of population growth. The latest episode in this saga are to be the planned Work, Live and Play in Queensland" expositions in Sydney from 17-19 August and in Melbourne from 5-7 August. This is to in order to fulfil the plans of the Queensland Government decreed in its 2004 South East Queensland Regional Plan to cram another 1 million into South East Queensland alone by 2026, presumably to suit the property development sector, which funds the Labor Party even more generously than the trade unions.

Unless this population growth is stopped the fight to save the Koala, as well as to preserve what quality is left in the lives of ordinary Queenslanders is doomed.

What you can do

• Write to Lindy Nelson-Carr Queensland Minister for Environment and Multiculturalism to support the Australian Koala Foundation's call to have the Koala listed as 'endangered' in South East Queensland. (E-mail EandM|AT|ministerial qld gov au or see #letter">below for phone numbers or postal address.)
• Become a supporter of the Australian Koala Foundation
• Join the Australian Wildlife Protection Council at www.awpc.org.au/newsite/join.php
• Participate in protests by the 'People Power' group against over development in Redland shire. To Contact the 'People Power' group e-mail people_power |AT| hotmail . com. (For further information visit /SaveMountCotton)
• Contact the Queensland Government and demand an end to their policy of encouraging population growth
• Contact the Commonwealth Government and demand an end to their policy of population
  growth through:
  • High immigration (currently at an unofficial, but real, record annual rate of 300,000 up from 68,000 in 1996 - see Ross Gittins' article "Backscratching at a National Level" of 12 June in the Sydney Morning Herald
  • Treasurer Peter Costello's $3,000 baby bonus
• Vote against politicians who fail to protect Australian wildlife or who encourage population growth
• Set up an account on this site, if you do not already have one, by visiting /user/registerso that you can contribute your knowledge and ideas. (You may still post comments anonymously but you may have to await the approval of the site administrator, before they are published.)

29th September is Save the Koala Day but what is there to celebrate about? Since the beginning of the twentieth century we have placed koalas survival at risk. In Queensland there was several open hunting seasons, 1915, 1917 and 1919, with one million taken in 1919. In 1927 the Queensland government allowed 584,738 koalas to be taken for skins. By the 1930s the koala was extinct in South Australia and since then we have had tollways and now urban expansion, with the SEQ koala declining from Common to vulnerable. But isn't the koala safe under new state planning laws setup to protect the koala, Nature Conservation (Koala) Conservation Plan 2006 and Management Program 2006 - 2016? Well! Since 1995 there has been many state planning policies setup allegedly to protect the koala. State planning policy 1/95 : Conservation of koalas in the Koala Coast. State planning policy 1/97 : Conservation of koalas in the Koala Coast. State planning policy 1/05 : Conservation of koalas in Southeast QLD. SEQ Regional Plan. Interim Guideline: Koalas and Development. However, in the last seven years during the time of these plans and within the Redland Shire, the heart of the Koala Coast an area supporting one of Australia's most significant koala populations, the koala population has declined by 47% in urban areas and and total drop of 31% in the Koala Coast. During this time the SEQ koala has gone from common to vulnerable. Will the Nature Conservation (Koala) Conservation Plan 2006 and Management Program 2006 - 2016 stop the decline of koalas? Mr. Baltais spokesperson for the Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland Bayside Branch said, "No, the Koala Plan will not stop clearing of koala habitat or the significant death toll of koalas due to cars and dogs." "The new plan is almost silent on dog control. The new plan provides no evidence that effective safe wildlife crossings will be implemented but it appears standard 1.5 metre high dry culverts will be used, these are next to useless." said Mr. Baltais. Mr. Baltais said, "In the Koala Conservation Area, the area with the alleged greatest protection, 100's of hectares of bushland will be lost to urban development, quarries and road upgrades. In one residential estate alone 168 hectares of koala habitat and Endangered Regional Ecosystem will be cleared for houses." The Koala Plan says it will allow development though albeit sustainable and sensitive to koalas. Mr. Baltais said, "We are in numerous court appeals trying to stop inappropriate development promoted as sustainable by developers and supported by the state government. These claims are far-fetched nonsense claiming development can enhance the natural environment." Mr. Baltais said, "Will the Nature Conservation (Koala) Conservation Plan 2006 and Management Program 2006 - 2016 stop the decline of the koala? No it will not." Simon Baltais Wildlife Preservation Society of QLD Bayside Branch Mb: 0412 075 334