
More than 46,500 koala habitat trees will be planted and 90-plus hectares of former paper mill land restored under Moreton Bay Regional Council’s koala management plan for The Mill at Moreton Bay, adopted on November 21.
Created in collaboration with some of South East Queensland’s top koala experts, the plan builds on the success of council’s industry-leading koala monitoring program and lists key actions to be undertaken over the next several years to ensure the region’s furry creatures flourish at the old paper mill.
Mayor Allan Sutherland said with more than 50 koalas and joeys tagged and tracked to-date, council’s plan would deliver a net environment gain on site.
“Council’s koala management plan will guarantee the transformation of 92 hectares of former paper mill land into habitable reserve for koalas and their joeys,” Mayor Sutherland said.
The plan will see more than 46,500 koala habitat trees, including 14,000 Queensland Blue Gums planted on site.
“The koala plan also sets in motion key actions to mitigate challenges like wild and domestic dogs, disease and weeds.
Actions include:
Monitoring, trapping and removing wild dogs
The installation of fauna exclusion fencing near key roads to prevent wildlife strikes
Ongoing contributions to USC’s ground-breaking Chlamydia koala vaccination program
The removal of weeds and restoration of identified areas
“To date, council has already treated more than 29 hectares of the mill site for weeds.
“The plan builds on work council is undertaking together with koala experts to help track in real-time local koala populations and their health.
“It’s hoped that once the new USC campus is open 2020, university students and researchers will also be able to utilise the koala habitat for vital research on preserving and protecting koala populations.
Mayor Sutherland said the contents and action items of the plan go beyond the requirements of the Federal Government’s Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation approval, which was handed down in September.
“Throughout this process, we’ve worked closely with koala experts and local volunteer groups, and I’d like to thank each one of them for their valuable input in making sure we get this plan right.”
Endeavour Veterinary Ecology (EVE) Director Dr Jon Hanger said the koala management plan would act as a guiding document to ensure that the development of The Mill at Moreton Bay promotes the long-term persistence of a thriving koala population on the site.
“It will guide both design and processes on the site to ensure that koalas are protected from harm, and that key threats to koala population survival are managed,” Dr Hanger said.
“Moreton Bay Regional Council have recognised the importance of the local koala population to conservation of the species regionally, as well as the unique amenity that the local koalas will provide to the university precinct.”
For more information on The Mill at Moreton Bay and to view the plan visit www.moretonbay.qld.gov.au/themill