Council calls for rethink on koala offset site

Council is calling on Main Roads to rethink its choice of sites for 60,000 koala trees currently destined for land beside the Bruce Highway, north of Cooroy.

Councillors last night endorsed a motion asking the State department to work with Council to identify alternative sites that will deliver a better outcome for Noosa’s koalas.

Main Roads agreed to provide the trees as an offset for Bruce Highway upgrade clearing.

“The Department of Transport and Main Roads has made a public commitment to this work. So Council is looking to achieve the greatest possible benefit for our local koalas,” Cr Tony Wellington said.

“Even Main Roads' own consultants have noted that the proposed offset sites alongside the highway are less than ideal. These sites appear to have been chosen simply because they make life easier for Main Roads rather than because they will provide a net benefit to local koalas. Plainly Council believes we can improve on that situation, but the ball is in Main Roads' court to meet the real intent of the state legislation and not waste this opportunity.

“We hope that Main Roads will be prepared to work with Council to identify one or more sites that are close to known koala habitat and away from major road corridors.

“The alternative sites may involve Council controlled land, or perhaps private land under Voluntary Conservation Agreements. There is also a local Noosa-based business that has been established to provide environmental offsets.

“We know of koala populations in many different locations across our local government area, and we may need to create corridors between isolated populations. So we are really spoilt for choice when it comes to koala offset arrangements within the Noosa Shire,” Cr Wellington said. 

31 July 2015