New planning regulations to help protect koalas in South East Queensland have been announced by the Minister for Environment, Leeanne Enoch.
Ms Enoch said the strict new rules would protect koala habitats and rehabilitation areas in the area.
“Koala populations were under intense pressure and the impact of a prolonged drought and recent bushfires meant we need to act now to prevent further habitat loss,” Ms Enoch said.
She said a public consultation program in December prompted thousands of Queenslanders to call for stronger protections for koalas in the South East.
“While the full strategy is finalised, we are acting swiftly by releasing new mapping and stronger planning regulations,” Ms Enoch said.
“More than 690,000 hectares has now been mapped as koala habitat under these new regulations,” she said.
“That is an increase of more than 421,000 hectares on what existed previously.”
She said clearing of koala habitat areas within Koala Priority Areas was prohibited under the new regulations.
Ms Enoch said the new koala planning framework would deliver a more strategic and consistent approach to koala conservation across Local Government boundaries and would give more certainty to the community and industry.
“The Nature Conservation and Other Legislation (Koala Protection) Amendment Regulation 2020 delivers on the Queensland Government’s commitment to ensure the continuation of koala populations in the wild,” Ms Enoch said.
She said more than 440 requests were made to validate mapping across that period, with many Queenslanders expressing a desire to ensure that their local areas of vegetation were protected.
The Koala habitat mapping can be accessed at the Department of Environment and Science website at this PS News link.
