From the MCCG wildlife database I submitted a map of our community koala sightings for Chapel Hill/Kenmore Hills/Brookfield/ Upper Brookfield/ Pullenvale/Bellbowrie and Moggill to the South East Queensland Koala Habitat Assessment and Mapping Project that was undertaken by the Queensland Government during 2009. These sightings, which are purely incidental and not the result of active surveys, number 51 (2004-Jan 2010).

The reason for this mapping and call for sightings is because we face the imminent extinction of koalas from areas of Southeast Queensland, such as the Koala Coast in Redlands Shire where koalas have declined by 51% in the past three years (DERM, 2009). The State government has developed a Response Strategy and prepared new draft koala state planning instruments.

Thanks to everyone who has sent me their koala sightings and never underestimate the difference local community groups can make! The MCCG is listed in the SEQ Koala Habit Assessment (DERM) as contributing to the Community Knowledge Capture, (p. 29). Click here to download the document.

At present these new State Planning Regulatory Provisions are only in Draft (public submissions close 28th Feb 2010) so have no legal bearing. However once they are formalised, this should mean better protection for koalas (and other biodiversity in Brisbane’s west) particularly from land clearing-the key threatening process our wildlife.

The Draft South East Queensland Koala State Planning Regulatory Provisions November 2009 maps are available for inspection at the Department of Infrastructure and Planning, Ground Floor, 63 George Street, Brisbane and are available on the Department of Environment and Resource Management's interactive mapping website.

Useful Links

www.derm.qld.gov.au (Dept of Environment & Resource Management, DERM).