Logan and Albert Conservation Association
BAHRS SCRUB is one of Logan's natural treasures.
The area is home to many plants - some unique and existing no where else in the world.
But unlike our usual regard for treasure, when it is a land area we believe it exists mainly to benefit the economic growth of a developer - whether the developer be a large company or one person. Such are the natural values of Bahrs Scrub that many natural area scientists eg botanists, ecologists, zoologists, geologists made recommendations many years ago that the area become a NATIONAL PARK! Common land which is owned by the country for the benefit of all people seems to little understood or valued in our societies rush to build more housing for human habitat - with not enough regard for the displaced species - such as the vulnerable koala - now listed as endangered federally.
Click on image above to go to larger image for LDAP.
Click here for link to all council documents relating to Local Development Area Plan.
Council's proposed plan was available for comment - now closed - and all relevant documents are able to be viewed on council's site.
There are many differences, aspects of dissention and anomalies with the proposal and what environmental groups such as LACA Logan and Albert Conservation Association, BREC Brisbane Regional Environment Council and SBSA Save Bahrs Scrub Alliance which includes GECKO Gold Coast and Hinterland Environment Council and respected botanist Glenn Leiper believe are needed to achieve a better environmental outcome.
BREC says BAHRS SCRUB IN LIMBO.
Many of us are easily persuaded that our safety and wellbeing requires that some species that 'threatens' us must be removed permanently.
The sensational language and looseness of facts seen in most media encourages that fear. We need to respect all species and appreciate that humans are not the prey.
Man's wellbeing depends on having a healthy and respectful relationship with all species whose habitat we share. That may be sharks in the ocean, dingoes on Frazer Island, flying foxes in local trees and forests, bees pollinating fruit and flowers, our domesticated dogs sharing our homes and neighbourhoods, and the many microbes which live inside the human body.
Queensland is currently suffering legalized shooting of flying foxes - when done humanely? How inane it to believe or accept that shooting is not cruel. Throughout Queensland and globally many groups have called for all political parties to commit to protecting our flying foxes. Read the statement here.
An Australian study has shown that most bats shot don't die immediately. The majority take hours and sometimes days to die. During that time they are in severe pain due to the damage inflicted by the shotgun pellets. Dependent young will also die slowly of starvation over the next few days. Download PDF. NSW and Qld legislation says that causing an animal to die in pain, or in a way that is not quick, is animal cruelty, yet both states still issue permits that allow these bats to be shot.
Do you want to protest this and other animal cruelty? Click on image above for a template to make a grey cross. Read about the campaign and participate however you can. Details at this website http://www.thegreycross.org/index.html.
Are there alternative methods for farmers to protect fruit crops?
According to a member of the Australian Custard Apple Growers Association, appropriate netting was both cost and profit effective. No harm is done to bats, birds or possums. Read the profitabilty and best practice report here.
Share your comments, photos, ideas via social media at https://www.facebook.com/DontShootBats and any others you use. Contact the campaign team http://www.thegreycross.org/contact-us.html
Interesting that EHP department publishes information about the importance of flying foxes eg Flying-foxes are crucial to keeping native forests healthy
COUNT KOALAS 20-21 October 2012
Do you have some time to spend in the bush this weekend. Join community members out looking for koalas. There is little as thrilling as seeing a koala in a bushland setting behaving as a koala.
If you looking during the day then probably most koalas will be sleeping - high up, in any tree.
Council asks What is Council Doing? but although Council would have us believe it intends to protect koala habitat and that Council has secured large areas of bushland where koalas are common, and vegetation protection and appropriate land zonings are in place to protect those areas, this is not the perception of those of us who monitor / watch Council's development plans. There have been no studies / research in the amalgamated areas and even large bushland properties in private ownership. More about that in other articles.
REPORTING ALL YOUR WILDLIFE SIGHTINGS IS IMPORTANT BUT ESPECIALLY KOALAS THIS WEEKEND. Council has an online reporting form for you to use which you locate at this link.
If you prefer you can phone 3820 1103 between 8am and 5pm to report your sightings or even if you identify the koala by its distinctive sound. Listen to a recording of a male koala bellow here. Logan and Albert Consevation Association president Anne Page will be one of volunteers manning the phones and she would love to hear from you.
Check out map council has provided here. Here we can see a smattering of red dots for recorded sightings across all suburbs. Longterm survival of these koalas depend on - at a minimum - connectivty and preservation of wildlife corridors - established by animal movements, green infrastructure being included in any roads, driving alertly, and improved control of our domestic animals especially dogs
Why is it so difficult to live in harmony with our wildlife?
It happens in Logan on a small scale if 200 acres /90 hectares is small. Here a family property was established in 1930s and some generations later the same family continues to live in harmony with nature and all its species. The property has recently registered with a voluntary conservation covenant to become part of Humane Society International (HSI) / Wildlife Land Trust (WLT). It is also part of Logan City's Land for Wildlife.
Deborah Tabart OAM, CEO of the Australian Koala Foundation spoke to the group who came together to celebrate Save the Koala month and pledge ongoing support to actions to gain changes in legislation to protect the koala and its habitat.
It is unconsionable that both DTMR and Logan City believe that a future road though this properties - and others - is in the best interests of the community.
The KOALA ARMY NEEDS US ALL. ENLISTING is easy.
Support this action from Australian Koala Foundation. Go to the following linked page https://www.savethekoala.com/koala-army/send-letter and using information provided there, send a letter to your politicians. Phone them also for extra emphasis. Spread the word with your friends and family. Let them know you are joining the Koala Army to ask for a Koala Protection Act. This is especially inportant as our current legislation and policies have failed and will continue to fail to protect the koala's essential habitat.
It is particularly worrying that big business has had the government's ear and through COAG there are plans to give the EPBC Act 'powers' to state governments.
You might also like to go to the koala army shop to purchase a dog tag or army tee shirt?
Bag It is a film by Suzan Beraza, which looks at the very real problem of plastic consumption in society. However, unlike other anti-plastic pics of this calibre, Bag It manages to convey its point effectively by appealing to a broad audience. You want to do your bit for the environment, but it's often easier not to think about it.
The World Bank has published an educational graphic explaining the main challenges faced by biodiversity conservation efforts, as well as the value of biodiversity for humankind.The infographic presents species decline rates, main threats to biodiversity, why biodiversity matters, and signs of hope, which derive from the declaration of protected areas around the world and private sector investments in biodiversity.
Click on image aside to see infographic.
Biodiversity conservation, protecting vulnerable landscapes and sustaining livelihoods in developing countries are all projects to receive funding from World Bank.
Overexploitation, habitat destruction, introduced invasive species all contribute to loss of biodiversity - worldwide - and especially in SEQ South East Queenland - a biodiversity hotspot.
Clearing greenfield areas to replace with human settlement preceived needs - housing, roads, hard infrastructure items will destroy the values that draw people to SEQ.
We are paving paradise to put up a parking lot in the words of Big Yellow Taxi by Joni Mitchell.
A healthy functioning ecosystem depends on the long term survival of the species which have adapted to live in the area. Maintaining these healthy ecosystems is esssential for human health and well being.
Bushland areas and wetlands provide more than visual amenity. Clean air, clean water and productive soils with their living creatures provide the comfortable liveability of our human places.
At a local level LACA has been alerted to proposed changes to extend the urban footprint in SEQ. This is alarming and LACA's immediate response has been to send a letter to the Premier, and Deputy-Premier Hon. Jeff Seeney MP Minister for State Development, Infrastructure and Planning. Our already endangered koala could face further threats.
Read our letter here.
Amendments-to-SEQRegionalPlan_Sept9-2012__letter.pdf231.33 KB09/09/2012, 18:41
Which wildlife group would endorse government policy to cull Flying Foxes - even as a last resort?
Queensland Bat Advocacy and campaign group Don't Shoot Bats certainly does not. Speaking for the Don't Shoot Bats campaign, Dr Carol Booth condemned the move as retrograde, anti-conservation and cruel and remarked on the irony of releasing the statement on National Threatened Species Day. Grey-headed and Spectacled flying-foxes are listed as vulnerable under national environmental laws.
LACA cannot agree when the Environment Minister says he is taking a 'balanced' approach. Species are listed as threatened when their future is in the balance, so what is balanced about shooting them? There is nothing balanced about sanctioned cruelty.
Great suffering will result from the re-introduction of shooting: it is inevitable that some of those shot will die slowly of their wounds, and young deprived of their mothers will die of thirst or starvation.
Fruit growers have cost-effective alternative methods of crop protection. Most do the right thing and protect their crop by nets and other non-lethal means. It should be expected of all.
Just three months ago the Queensland Agriculture Minister said 'It's important every Queenslander understands animal cruelty is never acceptable.' See his statement here.
Read Shooting threatened flying-foxes legalised on Threatened Species Day media release here.
, Policies and Campaigns Manager, Wildlife Queensland reports that shooting has been demonstrated to be ineffective and Horticultural experts advise that netting is the only effective method to prevent significant economic loss.
"Killing listed species, particularly when population numbers are not known with any certainty, is a major concern. Where will it stop? What will be next?" Read Wildlife Queensland here
You can help by completing online survey and writing to your local council and state representative.
We can also become more informed of issues relating to threatened species.
This is an opportunity to comment. What will be the impact with culling policies for fruit growers now introduced?
Click on image to left to complete survey online or phone 132523
Biosecurity Queensland is calling on members of the general public to participate in an online survey about flying foxes. The survey aims to gain a better understanding of public opinions, attitudes and knowledge of flying foxes and possible flying fox management options.
Due to the number of Hendra virus incidents in recent years, some communities have become more aware of the presence of flying foxes and the viruses that can be carried by these animals.
In areas where dispersal of flying foxes has either been proposed or has occurred, there has also been some concern about possible increased virus excretion from flying foxes as a result of dispersal.
Survey link from this page and research link here
Hendra virus - the facts is a balanced report from tourism interests in Port Douglas
This is an opportunity to comment. Will there be a measurable increase with culling policies for fruit growers now introduced.
Click on image to left to complete survey online or phone 132523
Biosecurity Queensland is calling on members of the general public to participate in an online survey about flying foxes. The survey aims to gain a better understanding of public opinions, attitudes and knowledge of flying foxes and possible flying fox management options.
Due to the number of Hendra virus incidents in recent years, some communities have become more aware of the presence of flying foxes and the viruses that can be carried by these animals.
In areas where dispersal of flying foxes has either been proposed or has occurred, there has also been some concern about possible increased virus excretion from flying foxes as a result of dispersal.
Survey link from this page and research link here
Hendra virus - the facts is a balanced report from tourism interests in Port Douglas
This factsheet from CAIRNS REGIONAL COUNCIL is also very informative and busts 10 BAT MYTHS