Six koalas were spotted at Berrinba Sanctuary during the koala count day and reported as far away as South Australia where their GREAT KOALA COUNT is planned for Novenber 28. Also check their FACEBOOK page for more information. The koalas in South Australia are larger than Queensland koalas and have different genetics.
The image aside was taken outside the survey days.
A mother and its young and 2 males were identified indicating a healthy breeding koala colony.
90 hectares of pristine koala habitat with a healthy population is an environmentally significant biodiversity asset for Logan City and indeed the world.
This property is adjacent to Berrinba Wetlands which, according to Logan City Council is being preserved by design with 80 of 120 hectares being protected and rehabilitated. While Council's intentions here may be commendable it is disconcerting that future planning for the adjacent 90 hectares of natural bushland - having the same or more environmental values is not so fortunate.
It is of great concern to our conservation group Logan and Albert Conservation Association LACA that most planning is done without adequate knowledge of the biodiversity and ecosystem services present across the landscape. It is also disconcerting that landscapes without human habitat - greenfield areas, are regarded as available for development. To have a major freight motorway dissect koala habitat is untenable.
Such is the case for Berrinba Sanctuary. The HUMANE SOCIETY INTERNATIONAL (HSI) / Wildlife Land Trust (WLT) recently added the Browns plains property to those other properties being managed as WILDIFE SANCTUARIES - 47 in Queensland covering19,947 hectares.
Some of the values and biodiversity present at Berrinba Sanctuary are available at this page. The longterm survival of this group of koalas is vital to the survival of koalas in Logan and Southest Queensland.
What are your / our values and vision for Logan? Do they include natural landscape areas - connected across the lanscape for safe animal movement - or are we letting someone else decide for us? If we are not mindful then we are in danger of having our paradise paved.