Moreton Bay’s Koala Population Defies National Trend

Published 05 August 2020

A confronting report released today by the Australian Conversation Foundation blames urban sprawl and habitat destruction for pushing native flora and fauna to the brink.

Mayor Peter Flannery welcomed the report titled ‘The Extinction Crisis in Australia’s Cities and Towns’, saying it was clear Councils right across the nation needed to step up and do more in terms of planning and environmental protections.

“I’m proud to say that Moreton Bay Region is defying a national decline in koala numbers, with our intervention program at The Mill PDA recording 22% population growth each year over the past three years,” he said.

“But the good work of one Council alone won’t save this precious species.

“Today’s report highlights the need for Councils to do more, and today Moreton Bay Region councillors have voted to progress negotiations to acquire strategic parcels of land at a possible 10 key locations.

“We’ll now begin discussions with those landowners to hopefully acquire that private land through our new environmental land buyback program, so that it can be protected from future development.

“Once we have secured these land parcels, works will get underway to restore and rehabilitate the area to suit our wildlife.

“Importantly, property acquisitions will be voluntary, and those negotiations will be undertaken confidentially in good faith with property owners.

“This is possible thanks to a small $6 increase to our Infrastructure Charge in this year’s Budget, which means we’ve now got $1.8 million in the kitty to get this ball rolling.

“We’ve already identified strategic greenspaces we think Council should buy to prevent any future development in wildlife corridors, sensitive ecosystems and koala habitat.

“At the very first meeting of this new Council I made a commitment to find new ways to protect our region’s vulnerable flora and fauna from future development and I’m proud to be delivering on that commitment.
“In fact we are ramping-up our environmental initiatives, having just completed planting 1000 new koala habitat trees over one kilometre of corridor along the North Pine River.

“We’ve also installed over 20 fauna rope bridges to assist gliders and possums cross roads safely and more than 10,000 metres of fauna exclusion fencing to help keep out wildlife and motorists safe.

“And in the June Budget 2020-21 we extended Endeavour Veterinary Ecology’s contract for another two years, to continue the remarkable success they’ve achieved in regrowing our local koala population.

“There’s a long journey ahead, but by putting our money where our mouth is and keeping the environment front of mind as we make planning and development decisions, I am confident we can get this delicate balance right.”