Logan and Albert Conservation Association
GREATER FLAGSTONE is supposed to be one of Queensland's "master planned satellite cities" with planning decisions made by state government - not local councils.
Yet Queensland Government agency DEPARTMENT OF INFRASTRUCTURE, LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND PLANNING has not included local community in any of its planning meetings for North Maclean proposed Enterprise Precinct. There have obviously been detailed meetings with local government Logan City Council and developers as revealed when DAs are added to EDQ website for PDAs.
Currently a seach shows that there are 11 applications relating to Greater Flagstone and 30 applications that have been approved - some in Pub Lane, Teviot Road, Jimboomba, North Maclean, Undullah, Kagaru, New Beith, Cedar Grove. There has never been any community consultation arranged for these 31 applications and as a "master planned city" there is NO CONCEPT PLAN for the "city" which is devoid of adequate infrastructure.
Public notification has not been well displayed - if at all.
820 Greenbank Road is DEV2015/727 by The Planning Place Lot 2 on RP868726 has 14 documents
Action Community has delayed a decision date for 15-20 days after 27 January - apparently an extension granted by applicant?
This gives community and concerned residents more time to make further representations to EDQ state MPs and local politicans.
HAVE YOU WRITTEN YOUR LETTER TO OBJECT TO 820 GREENBANK RD DEV 2015/727? IF NOT email your concerns to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
See a sample letter attached which you might like to use as a guide. It reflects issues that LACA Logan and Albert Conservation Inc has.
Logan City is home to a significant koala population and has one of the world’s largest koala conservation centres located at Daisy Hill Conservation Park. This facility is a Queensland state government conservation park. The social and economic value of koalas to our city and nation is difficult to quantify however, it is undoubtedly significant. This Koala Conservation Strategic Plan aims to ensure the long-term viability of koalas in Logan City and demonstrates Council’s commitment to koala conservation over the long term. How well does Logan do it now and will koalas in Logan and surrounding areas be protected by implementing this 10 year strategic plan 2013-2023?
Have your say on the Koala Conservation Strategic Plan by completing the online survey before Friday 16 May 2014.
The link to this survey is http://lcc-consult.objective.com/portal/environment__sustainability/lkcsp?tab=info
For more information you can email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or phone 3412 44 91
Although there is no direct invitation - you can also email your submission to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Online process will probably close at 5pm. Please send any late submissions also. Remember to include name/s and address/es of submitter/s and signing is preferred. You can also email cThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
You will need to read this document http://www.logan.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/287691/2014-Logans-Koala-Conservation-Strategy.pdf to be able to comment on the 4 strategic outcomes - 28 page document with captivating images of koalas.
In summary, the plan is based on achieving the following key strategic outcomes:
• SO 1 – Improved science of koala ecology and habitat requirements in Logan;
In Logan, koalas are most frequently sighted in the eastern suburbs of the city including Daisy Hill, Shailer Park, Carbrook, Priestdale and Cornubia. Residents of Greenbank, Logan Village, Browns Plains especially Berrinba Sanctuary, Jimboomba, Munruben, Mundoolan and others will not agree.
To achieve a net increase in koala habitat in the city and South East Queensland it is essential that a regional approach is undertaken and areas of koala habitat are connected through ecological corridors.
• SO 3 – Improved koala safety and health;
Logan City is expected to grow by more than 200,000 residents over the next 20 years and beyond. Logan City will continue to be one of the fastest growing areas in Queensland with dramatically increasing urban development and increasing pressure on the natural environment and koala habitat.
• SO 4 – Increased positive community engagement and awareness of koala conservation actions.
To achieve the strategic outcomes of this Plan it is essential that it is supported by an active, engaged and supportive community including residents, land owners, businesses and the Development industry
The online survey basically asks you to answer same 4 questions about each outcomes
1. Are these actions the right actions to ....
2. Are there any actions that need to be changed to .....
3. Are there any additional actions you think we should be doing?
4. What ideas do you have to support the delivery of these actions?
and finally any extra comments. Please consider a submission regarding any point / points you are concerned about.
These could include -
Importance of using best possible and latest mapping. ie SEQCatchments Koala Habitat Map for Logan - with Regrowth map and Observations, Genome Barrier and Pinch Point Maps as has been done for Brisbane City Council.
Koala policies, programs, zones, map layers and legislation should be included in town plan not merely as offsets opportunities
Undertake and publish Natural Areas Management Plans
Invest in Koala Research
Use citizen scientist programs like Great Koala Count to track sightings and include results in mapping
Develop stronger land stewardship programs with community to reward incentivise residents to retain and extend bushland habitat.
Place higher value on existing habitat with existing koala populations being retained in perpetuity for wildlife ie such areas are not suitable for industry and housing developments. Rezoning of such land at Browns Plains for conservation is critical if Logan wants to consider itself - and be considered by others as a "proactive koala-friendly" community
Educating community on living with wildlife - especially koalas has to be a high priority to remove any misconceptions that exist
PLEASE MAKE A SUBMISSION IF YOU CARE ABOUT KOALAS WHEREVER THEY MAY BE. MUCH MORE NEEDS TO BE DONE IF WE DO NOT WANT TO SEE THE LOCAL EXTINCTION OF KOALAS IN LOGAN AND SOUTHEAST QUEENSLAND.
Koalas in SEQ are not protected and there in no connectivity not in Logan's new planning. The new Queensland Government SPP is a disaster for koalas and wildlife.
DECLARATION as ENDANGERED is needed. It won't happen unless community makes it happen!!
Please send your submission asap
Your choice to complete online - or write your signed submission and send to
Chief Executive Officer
Logan City Council
PO Box 3226
Logan City DC Qld 4114
or email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
While both Logan and state government support an OFFSET scheme to "pay for" koala habitat to be cleared, neither Logan and Albert Conservation Association LACA nor Australian Koala Foundation AKF supports a general offset policy,
LACA's document http://www.laca.org.au/images/Planning_Scheme_Environmental_Submission_writing_kit.5points_docx.pdf also has some points relevant to Koala Conservation Strategy
The Australian Koala Foundation has recently requested a change to Australia’s environmental offset system, which poses serious issues for the conservation of koalas. The current system allows the government to approve environmentally damaging building projects if the business pledges to make up for destruction of native habitat by providing similar habitat elsewhere. Deforestation has led to the decline in the genetic diversity of koalas, but has also increased disturbance, injury, stress, and competition for food or territory due to overcrowding. It also creates barriers that prevent koalas from roaming for mating purposes, and the addition of another habitat does not even ensure that koalas will migrate there.
The koala is considered a threatened species in three parts of Australia, but their habitat is being destroyed by removing irreplaceable foliage that they depend on. The destruction of native habitat creates major gaps or breaks across the koalas’ landscape. A recent study from the University of Queensland revealed the importance of maintaining at least 30% of forest land to ensure the koalas' survival. Results point to the importance of the species access to wide landscapes, because habitat isolation can threaten genetic diversity which is necessary to conservation. Researchers found that genetic diversity “dropped rapidly” once the country’s amount of forest land fell under 30%. It is important that the Australian government take measures to increase the amount of forest land to a level suitable for conserving the rapidly declining species koalas.
Many thanks to all the wildlife carers who rescue rehabilitate and release - from turtles to owls to koalas and kangaroos. They are always confronted with issue - where to they release and they are required to relocate to home territories of each animal. Will this endanger the wildlife - koala or other again. Lets reduce the risk by having a good conservation strategy - with teeth - in our town planning. Up to us to ask. Council does not have all the answers.
The LNP has approved the Loganlea to Jimboomba High Voltage Power Line.
This time next year we will POTENTIALLY have huge concrete poles throughout Logan Village & Jimboomba. See first-hand the poles that will damage our environment, make our community less liveable & make our power bills even more expensive.
Please come to Jimboomba Sub-station on Camp Cable Rd (opposite Maryland Rd).
Saturday, 1st December at 1.00pm.
Show your Xmas spirit & support those people directly affected – it will only take about 20 minutes.
IT IS NOT A SINGLE ISOLATED ISSUE! ALL OF US will be impacted by poor decisions - especially local wildlife that are little valued by many unless as a specimen in a zoo.
COME ALONG TO PROTECT LOCAL KOALAS who co-exist harmoniously with local landholders, and also the cryptic elusive quoll.
COME ALONG TO PROTEST FURTHER DEGRADATION OF LOGAN RIVER
- 5 or more crossings
This time next year should be subject to all approvals being met by conditions imposed by federal compliance agencies for EBPC Act. Because LACA Logan and Albert Conservation Association communicates our concerns to federal agencies wherever matters of national significance are concerned ie quolls and more recently koalas, Energex is aware that they are required to refer the matter to the department.
When the matter is referred it will be open for public comment on the departments website
http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/epbc/epbc_ap.pl?name=invitation_to_comment&limit=999&text_search=
TIME FOR COMMENT IS ONLY 10 DAYS so we need to make sure we can submit on time.
This being so I am concerned about the minister's statement that
'Energex would begin preliminary works before the end of the year, with the project expected to be completed toward the end of 2014.' Possibly refers to obtaining land from landowners. No Christmas cheer there!
Having this happen over Christmas period also challenges us to be aware of opportunity to put in submissions.
Residents are asked to participate in the Logan City Council's phone-in and web-based community koala survey on Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 October 2011
Report Your Wildlife Sightings here
Council would appreciate any sightings (or evidence) of threatened or locally significant wildlife you may have encountered in Logan, by submitting the following sighting details. You may also provide records of any deceased animals, such as roadkill animals, as this information is also important.
For the phone-in survey, please call 07 3820 1103 between 8am and 5pm to record your sightings from the weekend.
Information that we will be collecting on the day includes sex, health, location, behaviour and the trees species in which it is located. This information will help us obtain local data about koala distribution and inform planning and management. Of course if you do not know all of this, LOCATION is most important - other details help paint a better picture.
Thanks for helping with wildlife sightings - at all times.
The koala in the image above Babe was rescued from dogs in the Jimboomba area 2009. Legislation requires the koala to be released in the same general area after recovery. Read some of Babe's story here.
The major land mass for Greater Flagstone is west of the interstate railway line. Click on image to open ULDA map file.
Many people do not asociate Greenbank and North Maclean with an urban footprint tagged with Flagstone. Until now Flagstone has not even been a suburb of Logan but part of the suburb of Jimboomba. The Flagstone estate has been an area with small acreage development for many years with both primary and secondary schools within the area.
The use of creeks and rivers as the boundary line - cutting some proprties into two - is cause for concern since there are policies for protecting riparian corridors - but policies without teeth in legislation offer no protection.
To have such disparate areas proposed as a model city for development does not match my vision - or community vision expressed at WOSPP. Teviot Road and Cusack Lane are major access roads used by present population. High density development west of rail line will mean multiple crossing across the rail line to access Teviot Road.
There are many documents on ULDA website to read to make an informed submission. EDO workshops will be held to help you with submissions.
DID YOU HEAR THAT KOALA LAST NIGHT?
A long term resident of Greenbank last night reported hearing the unmistakable calls / grunts of koalas in trees on his property. This information was relayed to me less than 40 minutes after the noisy koala. Evidence available to us that koalas are NOT locally extinct in Greenbank . We were both attending the SAVE GREENBANK CAMPAIGN meeting 23 February2011
If we can prove that our resident Greenbank Jimboomba Flagstone koalas are alive and well we will have a greater chance of delaying inappropriate development.
Many of us have resident koalas that we see but do not report. Please report your sightings to LACA president Anne Page mkpage@bigpond. We have arranged to have our wildlife sightings accepted by DERM and ULDA.
SPOTTED TAILED QUOLL have also been seen in the area. We need to update that data also. GLOSSY BLACK COCKATOOS are another significat species. While all species are important to the survival of the habitat humans also need to have a healthy lifestyle, the more iconic species named carry greater levels of protection.
INVITATION to PUBLIC MEETING
Monday 22 February 2010
Jimboomba Tavern
6:30-8:30pm
Cnr Mt Lindesay Highway & Cusack Lane JIMBOOMBA
There are signifigant patches of Melaleuca Irbyana in the Jimboomba and surrounding areas. Use of the phrase Swamp Tea-tree Forest is not common - but indicates that more than the single species has federal protection. No species - plant or animal - exists in isolation but is part of an interconnected web - much of which the lay person may not know about.
Are you a landholder - or caring tenant - with this endangered ecological group of plants?
You are most cordially invited to an Information Session to find out about these vegetation types, the legislation protecting them and the opportunities available to assist with their management. Questions such as:
What is the significance of having endangered Brigalow or Swamp Tea-tree Forest on your property? will be addressed.
The following specialists will be on hand to brief you about the project and to answer any further questions you may have: Liz Gould: Environment Sector Partnerships Manager - SEQC - South East Queenlsland Catchments Association.
For catering purposes please RSVP
Ben Barton, Community Contact Officer Bremer, SEQ Catchments, West Ipswich Q 4305 Ph 07 3816 9721 Fax 07 3812 8685
This event is being co-hosted by Logan City Council, SEQ Catchments and LACA - Logan and Albert Conservation Association.
Anthony Mitrow reporter from the Jimboomba Times continues to follow local koala's story of survival in paper dated 21 January 2009. The koala's future survival depends on all of us. Unless Babe's habitat is surveyed and mapped for inclusion in the 2009 SEQ Regional Plan it will have no protection. REPORT YOUR SIGHTINGS and help make this happen.
BABE the koala has been hit by a car, chased by dogs and suffered a urinary tract infection, but the little survivor has now been released back into his natural habitat in Jimboomba after months of rehabilitation.
The young animal has spent the last four and a half months at Australia Zoo where it underwent treatment for a range of injuries.
Babe first came to the attention of Jimboomba resident John King-Bayliss when he found the animal on Marks Road, Jimboomba. Mr King-Bayliss chased the dogs away and contacted Logan City Council who searched the area for the dogs which were not found, before confirming the koala was safe.
Later that evening Mr King-Bayliss found Babe injured on the side of the road.
"It had been hit by a car. It had blood coming from his mouth and he couldn't use one of his arms." Mr King-Bayliss said.he made calls to animal wildlife organizations but was unable to get help until he was given the number for Waterford-based wildlife carer Mark Alexander from Wildlife Answers .