Image from Angela B, Coomera Conservation Group
URGENT ACTION NEEDED
Your help is urgently needed in the campaign to save the Gold Coast’s koalas. It is only public pressure on both State and Local Government that will force action.
Gecko and the other groups working to save the koala need you to write to the Premier, the Minister for Environment and the Minister for Planning and demand action. Similarly we need you to write/email or ring the Mayor and all Councillors. The question for you to ask to the State Government politicians is “when will they urgently put in place and fund the recommendations of the Koala Expert Panel Report, which was released in late 2017″
They have done little since then except release some new mapping of habitat areas and appoint some people to the Advisory panel. https://environment.des.qld.gov.au/wildlife/koalas/pdf/qld-koala-expert-panel-report-2017.pdf
The question for you to ask Councillors is “when will the special koala levy be spent on buying a single large parcel of koala habitat in the Coomera area, which can support the remaining population, as recommended by the experts?”
The contacts are:-
State Government:
- Hon. Anastasia Palaszczuk; The Premier, thepremier@premiers.qld.gov.au – 07 3719 7000
- Hon. Leeanne Enoch, Minister for Environment and Science, environment@ministerial.qld.gov.au – 07 3719 7140
- Hon Cameron Dick, Minister for State Development, Manufacturing, Infrastructure and Planning statedevelopment@ministerial.qld.gov.au – 07 3719 7200
City of Gold Coast Council:
- Mayor@goldcoast.qld.gov.au;
- division1@goldcoast.qld.gov.au ;
- division2@goldcoast.qld.gov.au ;
- division3@goldcoast.qld.gov.au ;
- division4@goldcoast.qld.gov.au ;
- division5@goldcoast.qld.gov.au ;
- division6@goldcoast.qld.gov.au ;
- division7@goldcoast.qld.gov.au ;
- division8@goldcoast.qld.gov.au ;
- division9@goldcoast.qld.gov.au ;
- division10@goldcoast.qld.gov.au ;
- division11@goldcoast.qld.gov.au ;
- division12@goldcoast.qld.gov.au ;
- division13@goldcoast.qld.gov.au ;
- Division14@goldcoast.qld.gov.au.
“I always wondered why somebody didn’t do something about that. Then I realised, I am somebody.” - Lily Tomlin.
Current Situation
The plight of the Gold Coast koala, particularly those remaining population within the Urban Footprint, remains dire as development continues apace. Despite all the plans at both State and Local Government level in actual fact very little is being done, and the population continues to be decimated.
Currumbin Wildlife Hospital treated over 500 injured and sick koalas in 2018 and a majority of these had to be euthanized.
The destruction of habitat of the koala and the other wildlife that live in these areas, such as Coomera, Willowvale and Pimpama, is ongoing with nowhere for these animals to escape to. It is recognised that this is the northern growth corridor and that the human population has to be housed somewhere, but little to no provision has been made for the wildlife.
There are solutions:-
- Much stronger planning provisions that do not allow clear felling of habitat areas and preserve connectivity between developments subdivisions.
- Provision of large and viable dedicated habitat reserves,
- Building of green culverts or bridges to enable koalas and other wildlife to move around more safely,
- Increased funding support for groups such as Wildcare, RSPCA and the Wildlife Hospital,
- Public education
- Rehabilitation of degraded areas to become future habitat.
Further information about the Coomera koala population can be found via the Coomera Conservation Group Facebook page.
