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.
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“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.
