Logan and Albert Conservation Association
KOALAS FACE LOCAL EXTINCTION IN LOGAN!
Yarrabilba and Flagstone housing estates high on koala black spot list reports Sarah Orr, from Quest Newspapers January 2, 2017
Australian Koala Foundation chief executive Deborah Tabart says that new housing estates such as Yarrabilba and Flagstone were high on the koala black spot list. These fears echo and re-inforce the worst fears of the Logan and Albert Conservation Association and local group Logan Community Environment Watch.
Ms Tabart was pushing for a freeze on habitat clearing. She said koalas in Logan were “functionally extinct” meaning the population may never recover.
“I’ve seen committee after committee and the core problems don’t go away because we keep cutting habitat down,” she said.
“The Queensland Government will never impose constraints on the developer because that’s where they get their money.” She said she was not surprised rescue groups reported their “worst season ever” for deaths and injuries.
Habitat loss seems to be increasing daily with the planned $750 million southeast Queensland resort complex to be built by a Chinese property developer in a koala habitat area seeks permission to increase its approved 500-unit project on the site to 1500 units.
The areas of proposed clearing for human settlement continues with the most recent application by MIRVAC at Greenbank East
Despite the number of horrendous unsustainable development or infrastructure processses being proposed in Logan, Gold Coast, Scenic Rim and Ipswich, community strength and energy to defend the natural assets of the region remain strong and continue to strengthen. SEQ has significant biodiversity values that are appreciated by longterm residents in the region and we are determined to protect them despite the unreasonable economic pressures and expectations that big business, state government and corporations want to impose.
Pre-election promises of the Campbell Newman led LNP government have been broken and the local members must also feel our disappointment. A platform based on the four pillars of economy, construction, tourism and agriculture leaves both natural and built environment out of the equation.
Click on image to read article.
Disinformation is also challenging to deal with - especially when government changes the rules to suit its 'development at any cost' agenda - cost being only dollars for construction. Follow detailed history at VETO's website for analysis of issues an alternatives. Queensland Minister McArdle's approval of the second Loganlea to Jimboomba 110kV powerline allows Energex to continue to "Gold Plate" their network with more "poles & wires" when other alternatives are available.
FREE SUBMISSION WRITING WORKSHOPS with EDO
Greater Flagstone UDA Proposed Development Scheme public comment from 1 April to 20 May 2011
LOGAN & ALBERT CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION have arranged for EDO Environmental Defenders Office
to come to GREENBANK and JIMBOOMBA
Tuesday 19 April 7 – 9 pm
Currong Rooms , Greenbank Community Centre
Please RSVP : Anne Page ph 3297 0624 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Wednesday 27 April 7-9 pm
Caddies Community Care Centre
Please RSVP: Anne Page ph 3297 0624 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
We are hoping to arrange a workshop at Logan Village also for help with Yarrabilba UDA submissions
CLICK ON IMAGES ABOVE TO READ MORE ABOUT EDO and following text Environmental Defenders Office
Read this infosheet for our suggestions to help you.
LACAs_infosheet_UDA_submission.pdf 127.05 Kb 13/04/2011, 11:50
You might also like to consider joining the local GREENBANK MOVEMENT http://savegreenbank.com.au/
Draft 'blueprints' for South East Queensland's three new master-planned communities released
Deputy Premier and Minister for Local Government Paul Lucas was joined, on Friday 1 April 2011, by Ipswich Mayor Paul Pisasale and local MPs Rachel Nolan and Wayne Wendt for the unprecedented simultaneous release of the proposed master plans for Yarrabilba, Ripley Valley and Greater Flagstone Urban Development Areas (UDAs).
"This is the first time a community building program of this size and scale has been undertaken in Australia and it coincides with the one year anniversary of our government's Growth Management Summit," Mr Lucas said.
His statement that this marks the start of delivering the necessary planning framework to progress development of these three key areas as model communities in not credible. The media release was reported here
Since 2005 LACA has been advocating and lobbying for detailed background environmental studies to be both carried out and provided to the community as part of supposed openness and integrety of government. Access to studies done on behalf of Beaudesert has ben denied by Scenic Rimm Regional Council, Logan City Council [we now has 3 environment reports] and ULDA.
How can you have a model community - one that is based on ecological sustainable development principles when the existing wildlife with its essential habitat is not well mapped. This black hole of essential data must be filled before genuinely ecological sustainable development can b planned. Enen where we have an existing human settlement that is targeted for urban renewal or redevelopment.
TAKE ACTION FOR OUR WILDLIFE TODAY
The biodiversity of SEQ is threatened - and that includes we humans. Our wildlife species need the humans who co-exist with them enjoying the same ecosystem services as the wildlife to speak up and contact the governing authorities.
We need each other to continue to enjoy our healthy lifestyle that is so popular. However, if you do not reduce our damaging impact on the natural environment, then we will destroy what we love. If we do not all tell governments that their planning is inadequate then we will lose our iconic and state emblem - the koala - except perhaps for those born in captivity who are unable to survive in natural bushland areas - like Freckles.
FRECKLES pictured aside attended Logan's LEAF event 2010. She is an ambassador to alert us to the plight of all koalas - especially those in SEQ and in all ULDA areas - Greenbank, North Maclean, Flagstone, New Beith, Yarrabilba, Undalla, Ripley and the whole Scenic Rim area which has other threats - mining and quarrying to support the huge population coming our way. CANBERRA was not planned in 6 months. Business as usual is no longer an option. Consultants for the high density housing proposal at Greenbank suggest that our local koalas are already extinct?
WE know that is not true because we see and hear koalas throughout our area.
WE HAVE TO PROVIDE THE DATA TO ULDA and DERM SO THAT THEY ARE ABLE TO UPDATE ENVIRONMENTAL BACKGROUND STUDIES AS THEY NOW EXIST
Please send your information to LACAs President This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. so we can collate and forward to ULDA and DERM.
Go through all of your photos so we can produce a gallery of our local wildlife and add to our submissions
Come along to the next public meetings - every Wednesday at Greenbank www.save.greenbank.com.au for details.
Following the release on Wednesday November 20 of the Healthy Waterways Ecosystem Health Report, in which the Albert and Logan Rivers each received fails for the second year in a row, general agreement has emerged within LACA and among other conservation groups across the region that the situation for this river/bay system is now critical and requires urgent new attention, NOT business as usual.
Continuation alone of the strategies put in place by SEQ Catchments and Healthy Waterways and responsible NRMs clearly will not provide the genuine on the ground, full system solutions that are now desperately needed. Their strategies, while clearly aimed at long term outcomes, have nevertheless been in place for ten years during which the rivers and bay areas in SE Qld have steadily declined, with the Logan/Albert/Southern Bay the worst performing system in
The need for a ‘Crisis
LACA members and others have expressed the view that urgent action is needed at a government/legislative level. To explore this and hopefully arrive at a collective decision, a ‘crisis summit’ on the rivers and bay has been proposed, to be held possibly in February 2011. As a ‘summit’ this will differ from the Logan City Council proposal for a ‘forum’. While a ‘forum’ usually involves open community access and input of ideas ending in a summary report, a ‘summit’ involves the key players and decision makers in a process of dialogue and collective decision making for action. However, the summit could take on board the information that might flow out of an earlier ‘forum’, so the two proposals are not necessarily mutually exclusive.
This issue encompasses the whole catchment area of the Logan and Albert Rivers, and as such includes the impacts on the system of major new development proposals including those at Flagstone, Yarrabilba, Bahrs Scrub and Bromelton. Accordingly, a ‘crisis summit’ would involve key decision makers from Federal, State and local government, landholders groups, Agforce, conservation groups, developers in the region, river based industry groups such as prawn farmers, tourism and amateur and professional fishing organisations. The starting point for the crisis summit should be the collective understanding that there is a ‘crisis’ in this system and that genuine new actions, possibly involving legislation, are needed in order to prevent the ecological and physical collapse of the river/bay system.
YOUR SUMBISSION IS IMPORTANT FOR THE SUCCESS OF OUR CAMPAIGN. YOUR SUBMISSION CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
Loss of essential habitat for koalas, gliders glossy black cockatoos and other wildlife.
Loss of scenic amenity and destruction of ambience of natural bushland.
Continuing investment of our money in old technology ie high poles and coal fired electricity.
Loss of opportunity to invest in renewable energies and more.
Logan River health is further impacted.