Koala Response Strategy
Ongoing declines in koala population numbers have led the Queensland Government to take urgent action via the Koala Response Strategy, released in December 2008. The strategy is aimed at halting the decline of South East Queensland koala populations. The actions undertaken to date as part of the response strategy are summarised here.
Habitat loss
1. New state planning instruments
The South East Queensland Koala Conservation State Planning Regulatory Provisions (PDF, 182K)* (SPRP) and the State Planning Policy 2/10: Koala Conservation in South East Queensland (PDF, 152K)* (SPP) came into effect on 31 May 2010. Together they provide a comprehensive koala conservation planning and development assessment framework under the Sustainable Planning Act 2009. The instruments aim to ensure that the planning process and development assessment within the South East Queensland Koala Protection Area (Sunshine Coast, Moreton Bay, Brisbane, Ipswich, Logan, Redland, Gold Coast local government areas) is:
- contributing to a net increase in koala habitat
- assisting in the long term retention of viable koala populations in South East Queensland.
2. New habitat offset policy
The Offsets for Net Gain of Koala Habitat in South East Queensland Policy (PDF, 76K)* is designed to ensure that environmental offsets for unavoidable impacts on high quality koala habitat contribute to a net gain in Bushland Koala Habitat in South East Queensland. This policy requires the establishment and protection of new koala habitat through tree planting or the payment of a standardised financial contribution.
3. Additional koala habitat
Official announcement of new koala habitat at Capalaba West.
In 2009-10, the Queensland Government secured more than 52,000 hectares of koala habitat for conservation through the protected area network in South East Queensland. It has also protected an additional 900 hectares of land in Thornlands and southern Redland Bay that had been earmarked for future development by excluding it from the urban footprint under the South East Queensland Regional Plan.
The Queensland Government committed $48 million to koala conservation to achieve a net gain in 'actively regenerating' and 'mature' koala habitat by 2020. Five million dollars was allocated in 2009-10 and the remaining $43 million will be allocated from 2010-11.The Department of Environment and Resource Management (DERM) has recently acquired land for koala habitat enhancement; 7.6 hectares at Capalaba West and 127 hectares at Priestdale. These lands contain over 90 hectares of cleared land that will be revegetated to provide an important connective link in the landscape for koala habitat and movement.
In October 2009, 5.6 hectares of commercially valuable State-owned land on Windemere Road, Alexandra Hills was converted from Department of Education and Training ownership (and potential development) to a dedicated environmental reserve and trusteeship by Redland City Council for the protection of koala habitat.
The Acquisition of Land Act 1967 was amended in 2009 to allow for the compulsory acquisition of land for environmental purposes, being the conservation of koalas. These powers allow the State to take koala habitat lands that are under threat from irreplaceable loss within the South East Queensland Koala Protection Area. Compulsory acquisition will only apply to lands which are outside of the urban footprint, are uninhabited and mapped as containing koala habitat values of bushland or suitable for rehabilitation. Compulsory acquisition will only be used as a last resort where critical habitat must be protected.
4. Koala habitat programs
Eligible landholders have the opportunity to apply for financial assistance to revegetate, rehabilitate and manage koala habitat on their land in koala protection areas in South East Queensland through DERM’s $4 million Koala Nature Refuge Program. Approximately 24 applications were approved in the first round which will protect an additional 2,800 hectares of new Koala Nature Refuges and fund more than 176 hectares of koala habitat revegetation works at a total cost of $1.39 million.
In addition, expressions of interest (PDF, 183K)* from landholders are being sought from those who may wish to sell their property to the Queensland Government. Properties will be protected from development and have their koala habitat values enhanced.
5. A freeze on clearing and disposing of all State-owned land until koala conservation legislation was finalised
In December 2008, the Queensland Government announced a freeze on the disposal or clearing of State lands in South East Queensland until a full assessment of their koala habitat values could be completed. In many circumstances, a project which was approved under the land freeze is required to offset its environmental impacts.
The State land freeze on habitat clearing was replaced on 31 May 2010 with the State Government Supported Community Infrastructure Koala Conservation Policy. Under this policy, Queensland Government agencies will be required to deliver the State planning regulatory provision outcomes when conducting development. The policy includes offsetting cleared koala habitat and incorporating measures to ensure that koalas can continue to move across the landscape.
The State land freeze on land disposal has been replaced by amended Queensland Government land management policies.
6. A comprehensive koala habitat mapping project
The Queensland Government has completed the most comprehensive koala habitat mapping exercise ever undertaken in Queensland. The project was awarded the Queensland Spatial Excellence (Industry) Award by the Queensland Spatial Information Council in September 2009. The project also won the Environment and Sustainability Award at the 2009 Asia Pacific Spatial Excellence Awards.
The mapping identifies current habitat as well as areas where habitat could be restored in the future—vital information for guiding koala conservation activities. The information has informed a number of government programs including development of the State planning regulatory provisions and State planning policy and State land freeze assessments. The mapping has also been provided to local governments to guide their own planning and koala conservation efforts.
Dog attack
7. Model local law for councils to help reduce dog attacks on koalas
To help protect koalas from dog attacks the Queensland Government has released an animal management model local law to provide local governments with the tools to restrict how dogs are kept. This model local law can be adopted more quickly than the normal local law development process would allow.
Vehicle strike
8. Guideline for establishing safety fencing and measures for safe koala movement
The Koala Safety Fencing and Measures Guideline (draft) (PDF, 2.6M)* provides a framework to guide assessment managers and developers on maximising safe koala movement through areas subject to development. This guideline supports the SPP and SPRP. The guideline helps to assess and manage risks to koalas on site and provides options for:
- safe koala movement through the use of koala friendly or exclusion fencing
- koala safe road design and placement
- koala safe pools
- mitigating threats from dogs
- raising community awareness.
9. $10 million trial on retrofitting wildlife crossings and underpasses on South East Queensland’s hot spot roads for koala strikes
A fence to stop koalas crossing roads, funnelling them to a safe crossing point.
The Queensland Government has commenced a trial program to reduce the number of koalas killed by vehicle strikes—one of the leading contributors to the decline of koalas in South East Queensland.
The trial will determine the effectiveness of retrofitting existing bridges and culverts with structures that allow koalas to safely cross State-managed roads.
In consultation with stakeholders, the government has selected a number of high risk areas across South East Queensland for this trial. A monitoring program will be undertaken as part of this trial to assess the effectiveness of retrofit activities. The Department of Transport and Main Roads is leading the retrofit trial. Find out more about the koala retrofit project.
10. Ensuring new state roads and upgrades are koala friendly
The Department of Transport and Main Roads is committed to locating and designing State-managed new roads and upgrading existing roads to be koala friendly.
Installing structures that allow koalas to cross roads (such as underpasses and overpasses), along with fencing to funnel koalas to these crossings, will allow koalas to move more safely between adjacent habitat, reduce road mortality and better protect koala populations.
Disease
11. Koala disease research
The Koala Disease Research Fund was established to support high quality research into mitigating the effects of disease on wild populations of koalas. The fund is a key component of the actions being taken by the Queensland Government to halt the decline of koala populations in South East Queensland.
Approximately $400,000 has been awarded to disease research projects under the Koala Disease Research Fund. A call for disease research projects was announced in July 2009. Projects were considered for their relevance to research priorities and on their capacity to be completed within 12 months.
The research priorities were to:
- assess and develop appropriate methods to reduce vulnerability of wild populations to disease
- establish the relationship between habitat loss (and other environmental stressors) and disease in koalas
- quantify the impacts of disease on breeding and fecundity rates
- develop tools that result in improved management outcomes.
12. Koala population survey
Monitoring for koala populations over five years across the South East Queensland Koala Protection Area has commenced. This monitoring will establish baseline data on koala populations to help track progress of the populations within them. The Queensland Government has provided $2.5 million over five years (2010–2015) to deliver this program. At the end of five years, baseline koala population data will be available for all seven of the eastern South East Queensland local government areas (Redland, Moreton Bay, Ipswich, Logan, Sunshine Coast, Brisbane and Gold Coast).
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Last updated 12 January 2012