Tag Archives: koalas

Council takes steps to protect koalas


August 24, 2016

Redland City Council has further strengthened its support for koalas by allocating five new Koala Management Areas in key locations across the city.

Redland City Mayor Karen Williams said the addition of the new koala areas were part of an amendment to Local Law 2 and were adopted by Council at today’s General Meeting.

“We know that dog attacks are one of the biggest threats to koalas with serious injury and death an all too regular occurrence; today’s decision will help reduce those risks for koalas,” she said.

“These areas will provide added protection for our local koalas by requiring dog owners on properties larger than 2000 square metres in these areas to den their dogs overnight to reduce dog attacks on koalas.”

The locations of the new Koala Management Areas are in:

Part of Thorneside;
St James’s Park, Birkdale;
Part of Thornlands;
North Stradbroke Island townships of Dunwich, Amity Point and Point Lookout and
Ferntree Park, Capalaba
(see maps of new Koala Management Areas).

Cr Williams said the adoption of the new koala management areas followed extensive community consultation.

“In February, Council asked for community feedback on five proposed new Koala Management Areas across the city, with 146 submissions received from the community,” she said.

Cr Williams said today’s decision also committed to a behaviour change strategy to teach dog owners about the importance of protecting koalas from man’s best friend.

“This is about encouraging residents who own dogs in areas of the city where koalas are prevalent to be responsible and conscious that their pet can affect the local koala population,” Cr Williams said.

“Council will engage a behavior change professional to roll out the program and we will support it through our ongoing environmental education program.

“Koala protection is everyone’s responsibility and Council is committed to encouraging the whole community and all levels of government to play their role.

“We are currently working on an amended koala strategy and action plan in consultation with the State Government and other key stakeholders that we hope to adopt in the coming months.”

The amended local law will come into effect once it has been gazetted by Council.

Note: Maps of the new Koala Management Areas can be found here.  An overall whole of city map is provided as well as individual maps for specific areas. The maps show the existing Koala Management Areas in grey and the new Koala Management Areas (adopted today) in a different colour for each KMA.

Snapshot – 29 April 2015


April 29, 2015

Plant a tree and help local koalas

Free sausage sizzle and plant to take home!

Join us for our annual Koala Community Planting as we put 1500 plants in the ground to expand a creek corridor.

  • When: Sunday 3 May, 9-11am
  • Where: Three Paddocks Park, Thomas St, Birkdale (UBD Ref. Map 164 p19)
  • Bring: Enclosed shoes, sun protection and drinking water
  • Provided: Plants, equipment, sunscreen and gloves

For more information contact Bushcare: ph 3824 8611.

 

Are you wild for wallabies, crazy for koalas or excited about echidnas?

Volunteer for the Redlands Afterhours Wildlife Ambulance (RAWA) and put your passion of wildlife to good use! We are urgently seeking volunteers to provide emergency rescue and transport for sick and injured wildlife in the Redlands and adjoining areas of the Koala Coast. You need to live in the Redlands, be 18 years or older and hold an open or probationary driver’s licence.

Hours are from 5pm to 8am daily, with volunteers rostered on for one week in every five to six weeks. Training is provided, with the next full day induction session set for Saturday 9 May.

For more information or to book in for induction training, IndigiScapes on 3824 8611 or email lisa.bailey@redland.qld.gov.au

 

Meet Mal Leyland

Intrepid explorer and author

  • When: Friday 8 May, 10 – 11am
  • Where: Victoria Point Library
  • Bookings: 3884 4011

Ever the adventurer, Mal Leyland has continued to explore our beautiful and dangerous country. Still Travelling is his compelling account of a life lived to the full.

This free event is brought to you in partnership with Angus and Robertson, Victoria Point.

 

Check out Council’s What’s On calendar!

A great way to find out about upcoming events and activities in the Redlands

From markets and festivals to exhibitions and school holiday fun, What’s On showcases lots of new and interesting Council-run and community events to liven up your social calendar.

Organising something in the Redlands?

You can also advertise your event on What’s On! Go to our What’s On site above and click on Submit a new event. Council can also assist you with your community event in the Redlands including with application procedures and providing expert advice on producing your event in the City.

For more information email communityevents@redland.qld.gov.au or phone 3829 8999.

 

Water meter readings

We are reading water meters in Capalaba and Ormiston this week. Please make sure our meter readers have clear access to your water meter.

 

Open meetings

General meeting: Wednesday 6 May 9.30am

Get the facts: “By-laws starve orphan koalas”


January 9, 2015

Disappointingly, the Redland City Bulletin story (7 January) titled “By – laws starve orphan koalas” fails to reflect the levels of support available to koala carers.

Council is fully supportive of the efforts of carers who volunteer their time to care for injured and orphaned animals, including supporting the carer featured in your article through a conservation grant to help establish her rehabilitation enclosure.

Council has spent millions of dollars over many years to improve or extend the city’s koala habitat and corridors and continues to do so in collaboration with key stakeholders, including state and federal governments.

While Council trusts that most residents will understand the need to mitigate potential risks to carers from roadside harvesting and the potential for damage to streetscape plantings, there are a number of alternative options available to carers.

Wildlife rehabilitation organisations and individual carers can access community grants to provide for their own koala fodder plantations.

Redland City Council, Logan City Council, Brisbane City Council and the Department of Environment and Heritage Protection, all have grants that support this purpose, as do Energex and Powerlink. Some koala carers for example in Logan City, operate and maintain their own fodder farm with funding sourced through various community grants.

Council has previously offered carers the opportunity to collect eucalypt tree branches from Council’s tree pruning operations and arrangements can also be made with some private tree loppers to source suitable fodder during tree removal activities.

Koala carers have also made arrangements with private landowners, and even schools in the past, willing to provide access for fodder harvesting.

Council has established a fodder planting area at Victoria Point for harvesting koala fodder.

Koala Spotting in the Redlands


October 17, 2012

Redland City Council is inviting its neighbouring residents to visit Redlands on 20 and 21 October to participate in the annual koala count-a-thon survey.

The koala survey is a weekend activity aimed at encouraging the community to explore the great outdoors and participate in the thrill of koala spotting to provide valuable information for koala conservation.

Redland City, located 20 minutes from Brisbane, is home to a significant urban koala population and offers visitors a unique opportunity to spot koalas in their natural habitat.

Council, in partnership with the local Koala Action Group, is encouraging all South-East Queensland residents and visitors to join in the koala spotting fun.

The survey is a very important event on the Redland’s event calendar as it helps to provide critical information about the number, location and health of our local koalas.

“The survey weekend offers the perfect excuse to visit the Redlands to explore our spectacular natural areas, experience the delight of koala spotting and enjoy a picnic by the bay,” Redland City Mayor Karen Williams said.

“Koala spotting is a fun activity for people of all ages and makes for a free family fun day out that will create cherished memories.

“If you don’t make it to the Redlands during koala survey weekend we encourage you to visit our beautiful city some other time. Please remember that driving koala aware, especially in areas with koala warning signs, is something we can all do to protect this magnificent animal.”

Redlands Koala Action Group president Debbie Pointing said getting involved in the survey is very rewarding and spotting a koala is easy when you know how.

“Koalas can be found in their natural environment by learning more about their favourite types of trees, looking for scratching on tree trunks or keeping an eye out for koala droppings at the base of trees,” Ms Pointing said.

“There is a range of helpful information about how to spot a koala available at www.koalacentral.com.au.”

This year Council has developed a new digital survey tool available on our Koala Central Facebook page to support the initiative. It will provide easier access for residents to take part using their smart phones while out and about.

Koala sightings between 20 and 21 October can be registered by:

  • Phone: 3820 1103 between 8am and 5pm daily.
  • Online: www.koalacentral.com.au
  • Facebook: www.facebook.com/koalacentral

To learn more about how to spot a koala or how to get involved in the survey weekend visit www.koalacentral.com.au