KOALAS are listed as Vulnerable in Queensland.
Anyone who has koala sightings ( dead or alive) from their property or from any suburbs or roads along or around the proposed Park Ridge Connector Route could you please email these sightings to Anne Page This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Please include -
1. the approximate date of sighting ( or time of year and year) if possible
2. how many koalas you saw
3. a specific location ( eg street address number, street name, suburb name with post code )
4. what was the koala doing at the time you observed it?
Why report dead animals?
This is positive evidence of presense of animals in area - and easier to photograph.
Please take photos if you can.
There are areas along the proposed Park Ridge Connector Route that are listed under DERM (Department od Environment and Resource Management) mapping as Essential Habitat for Koalas.
On the internet go to - http://www.derm.qld.gov.au/property/mapping/mapsonline.html#wildlife_online
then select the link to State Koala Habitat Maps and enter your Lot on Plan for your property ( you can get this from your rate's notice).
There is other online mapping that you can also access on this same link e.g. remnant vegetation mapping, regrowth mapping and wildlife online. Just click on those links and use your lot on plan to send a request for an electronic map.
Koala State Planning Maps identify certain areas as high koala bushland, medium koala bushland and low koala bushland as well as areas suitable for rehabilitation for koala habitat.
There are very few areas in the Park Ridge Connector Route that were visited by DERM officers to do field survey checks to confirm koala habitat values for the Koala State Planning Maps, but two of them are close to the proposed PRC route
(a) Jerry's Downfall Reserve - medium value bushland
(b) a large site at the end of Virgil Rd that extends east and meets at the end of Dandaraga Ct - high value koala habitat at the end of Virgil Rd ( on east side) and medium value habitat on rest of block.
(c) a property on Hawkins Road ( Stockleigh) - high habitat value and medium habitat value
Under the State Koala Planning Policy development in koala habitat must be mitigated first - that means the proposed road corridor must first demonstrate that every effort has been made to AVOID koala habitat. Offsets are only a last resort when all other avenues have been explored.
Has Main Roads done this for the Park Ridge Connector Route?
There are concerns about the accuracy of the State Koala Planning Maps generally as very few sites were ground truthed, and the Australian Koala Foundation has their own koala mapping that they use. You can access the Australian Koala Website and enter your own koala sightings online https://www.savethekoala.com/koalamap.html
The biggest threat to koalas is the loss of habitat and habitat fragmentation.