Regulations to be enhanced to further protect iconic koalas

• The Miles Government has released the findings of a review of its koala habitat protection regulations.
• The review found the regulations are largely working well and having a positive impact, however some changes will need to be made to address elements of the framework that were identified as not operating as intended.

The Miles Government has today released the findings of a review of the government’s koala habitat protection regulations.

The regulations were introduced in 2020 to better protect South East Queensland’s iconic koala population and the habitat they call home.

The review, undertaken by the Department of Environment, Science and Innovation, included consultation with the conservation and urban development sectors as well as the wider Queensland community.

The consultation confirmed the regulations had been effective, however some elements have not worked as intended. 

These include a lack of habitat clearing data, and misinterpretation of some of the regulations as they were originally intended, leading to some unintended clearing of koala habitat, and unnecessary delays and costs in preparing development applications.

In response to the feedback received, the Miles Government will make improvements to the koala habitat regulations. These changes will be supported by guidance material and the development of a new web-based notification system for interfering with koala habitat, which will allow the collection of more accurate habitat clearing data.

The regulatory changes will be delivered through amendments to Planning Regulation 2017 and Nature Conservation (Koala) Conservation Plan 2017.

The changes will also help reduce wait times for landholders requiring development approval and provide greater certainty to developers and property owners.

Quotes attributable to Environment Minister, Leanne Linard:

“South East Queensland is one of Australia’s fastest growing areas, with the population anticipated to increase to around 6 million people over the next 25 years, with an average of around 34,500 new dwellings required each year.

“The growing demand for land supply presents a considerable challenge for the preservation of koala habitat into the future.

“That is why it is essential that our koala conservation regulations achieve the right balance between conservation and development.

“In reviewing our koala protection regulations, we have consulted with industry and conservation groups to ensure that the protections we put in place in 2020 effectively balance the sustainability of our state’s koala populations while ensuring land supply for South East Queensland’s housing and liveability needs.

“The review confirms the regulations have achieved the stated objective of providing increased protection to koala habitat in South East Queensland, and do not impose unreasonable burden on stakeholders and the community.

“However, elements of the framework were identified as not operating as intended. There has been unintended clearing of koala habitat and less than effective monitoring, as well as unnecessary complexity, costs and limited certainty for users.

“The review recommends fine tuning existing policy settings to better deliver on the intent of the regulations and the government will implement these enhancements this year.”

Further information:

More information on the review is available here. 

The Nature Conservation and Other Legislation (Koala Conservation) Amendment Regulation 2020 took effect on 7 February 2020.

The regulations enhanced the scope of planning controls and significantly increased the area of koala habitat in SEQ that is subject to protections. Features of the 2020 koala regulations include:

• New Koala Habitat Areas (KHA) and Koala Priority Areas (KPAs) mapping based on the best available science.
• Developing prohibitions in KHAs within KPAs.
• Planning controls which regulate interference with koala habitat outside of KPAs, by requiring state assessment.
• Application of the Queensland environmental offset framework to ensure avoidance, mitigation, or compensation for unavoidable development impacts on SEQ koala habitat.

ENDS

Media contact: Scott Chandler – (07) 3719 7339