Redlands Coast homeowners and businesses are being urged to act on their biosecurity obligations to ensure invasive and potentially dangerous pests are identified and managed in the City.

Redland City Mayor Karen Williams said the legal obligations of all community members to identify, report and manage invasive plants and pests is even more critical with drought and bushfires impacting on national biodiversity.

‘Whether it’s the plant you wrongly threw out the back that turns out to be the highly invasive Mother of Millions or the advancing threat of tilapia in our waterways, they all pose risks to our future environment, economy and lifestyle.

“It is essential that Redlands Coast homeowners and businesses understand they have a legal biosecurity responsibility.

A General Biosecurity Obligation’ (GBO) under Queensland’s Biosecurity Act 2014 requires individuals to know about and manage biosecurity risks on properties, and penalties may apply if residents do not meet those obligations.

“We all must take reasonable and practical steps to prevent or minimise each biosecurity risk and play our part in stopping their spread,” Cr Karen Williams said.

“This means, for example, stopping critical threats like the potential spread of fire ants in the Redlands Coast and accidentally planting or spreading invasive plants like Singapore daisy or Captain Cook tree.

“Council has adopted a Redlands Coast Biosecurity Plan 2018 to support the biosecurity objectives for the Redlands Coast. The protocols for identifying and managing threats, include property inspections and community education.

“Inspection of known or suspected biosecurity threats on properties has been underway since last year and will continue as part of Council’s legislated obligations to identify and manage risks.

Similarly, Council continues to strategically manage known weeds and pests throughout the city. Particular invasive plants and pest animals can have direct and damaging impacts to agriculture, environment, local economy and social activities.

“We can inadvertently spread biosecurity risks unless we act to make ourselves aware of what they are. We can all work together to help protect our naturally wonderful Redlands Coast”.

“Council will be providing the details for the Redlands Coast Biosecurity Plan 2018 on its Yoursay Redland Coast webpage with an invitation to all the community to visit and provide their feedback.

“I also urge all Redlands Coast community members to visit the Biosecurity Queensland or Council’s biosecurity website pages to learn how they can act to identify and manage potential threats.”

Redland City Council has offered only conditional support for a State Government South East Queensland Koala Conservation Strategy claiming the current draft lacks detail.

Mayor Karen Williams said Council’s own koala strategy has supported and funded Redland koala conservation for over a decade as part of the Koala Coast.

“We recognise that Australia’s iconic koalas need protection and Council supports the adoption of a supporting State strategy,” she said.

“But this draft is little more than an expression of good intentions that fails to address critical details of funding, enabling legislation, research, mapping and collaboration.

“While the strategy identifies the importance of collaborative engagement, there has been none in the preparation of this Strategy.

“Importantly, Council wants to know how the State intends to recognise and respond to crucial local government programs like those in place the Redlands Coast or fund new initiatives where the burden inevitably falls on local government.”

Mayor Williams said the timing of the strategy consultation over the peak summer holiday period and its lack of detail means the community is being asked to take the strategy on trust.

“We need to know how the strategy will be implemented, legislated and funded,” she said.

“It discusses collaboration but fails to address exactly how the State will work with Councils and land managers to support existing programs or fund new initiatives.

“While setting a target for reduced koala deaths, the Strategy does not identify how populations will be measured or knowledge shared at the local level.

“It also ignores the Koala Expert Panel recommendation to ensure that locally significant koala habitat can still be protected through local government planning.

“The separate but linked State Koala Priority Area (KPA) mapping, released for brief consultation late last year, would remove almost half the essential Redlands koala habitat including the entire North Stradbroke island population area.

“Additionally, while stating the intention to prohibit clearing within 300,000ha of mapped KPA habitat, the strategy fails to detail how current exemptions or state planning legislation, codes, or offset policy would achieve this.

“Council’s submission to the State will highlight the need to address these issues before the community can be confident the new strategy will actually make a difference.”