MEDIA RELEASE
For Immediate Release
JOB OF PROTECTING REDLANDS’ KOALAS IS ONLY HALF DONE
“There is no doubt that the people of the Redlands welcome the State
Government’s decision to protect Thornlands and Southern Redland Bay
from further development,
but this initiative means the job of protecting
koala habitat is only half done”, said Lavinia Wood, spokesperson for the
Community Alliance for Responsible Planning.
“The State Government’s own State of the Koala Report 2008
makes it
clear that unless the habitat remaining in the urbanised northern half of
the Redlands is protected, the koalas of the Redlands and the balance of
the Koala Coast will be extinct by 2010.”
“Premier Bligh’s South East Queensland Regional Plan 2009-31 is still
driving infill development in key habitat areas such as South-East
Thornlands, Kinross Road and the leafy suburbs of Ormiston, Birkdale and
Wellington Point. This in itself will be enough to bring koalas to
extinction.”
“The people of the Redlands know that this population growth has to stop.
There can be no trade-offs in this
-
‘protect the land to the south but
develop the hell out of the north’. If infill development continues as
planned, then
Premier Bligh’s SEQ Regional
Plan will become the blunt
instrument that kills off the last koalas of the Koala Coast, regardless of
the land she has protected to the South.”
“We will be calling for the Premier to effect an immediate amendment to
the SEQ Regional Plan 2009-31 to
effect full and enduring protection of
our koalas.”
-
ends -
Lavinia Wood
Spokesperson
Community Alliance for Responsible Planning (CARP) Redlands Inc
0409-821-637 (not for publication please)
NEWS 
