Logan and Albert Conservation Association

Ten minutes is not a long time but Anne Page in a 10 minute interview with Federal MP Peter Garrett with Maree and Laurie from Veto (the group fighting the Loganlea to Jimboomba Energex powerline along the Logan River) painted the big picture. The topic they spoke about was in relation to protecting ecological corridors from infrastructure  and they used the examples of the Loganlea to Jimboomba Energex proposal and the Mt Lindesay Highway upgrade. Although these are state issues they managed to link this to federal issues e.g. current federal funding push to provide infrastructure for recovery from the current financial crisis, the need for increased investment in renewable energy options, protecting biodiversity (recent community consultation closed on the Australian Biodiversity Strategy), and the need for an integrated approach to planning across all levels of government. 

Mr Garrett was given a document that included maps from SEQRP and local planning and he did say that he knew about the SEQRP, so that's a start. 10 minutes went no where of course.The brief given to Mr Garrett did refer to the Bromelton rail corridor but they did not get to speak about this.

MORE than 400 people jammed in to the school hall at Beenleigh State High School on Tuesday night as Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, in his second visit to the area since the 2007 election, hosted his fourth Federal Community Cabinet meeting for the year.
Students, community group representatives, business people and council and state politicians were part of the crowd which erupted in to applause when the Prime Minister entered the hall to join the 20-strong contingent of cabinet ministers also on hand.
The Prime Minister, introduced by Federal Member for Forde Brett Raguse, delivered a 20 minute address before fielding questions from the floor for an hour.
During the address he highlighted the government's economic focus on "nation building'' through billion dollar infrastructure projects and the effects in areas like Beenleigh.

Well done! L-R:  Laurie Koranski, Peter Garrett,  Anne Page,  Maree Slingsby.

A letter from John Mickel, State Member For Logan,to residents around Chambers Flat Road and  Crowson Lane intersection with Mt Lindesay Highway advises us of the status of this major road infrastructure.

The letter states

Stage 3 of the Mt Lindesay Highway upgrade will be completed this year.

The service roads linking Granger Road and Stoney Camp Road are already completed as are the roads on either side of Munruben Forest and Munruben Woods. A bikeway on Munruben Forest side of Mt Lindesay Highway is also being completed.

I have approached Main Roads and the local police to ensure uniformity of the speed limit between Chambers Flat and the Maclean bridge. This has been done and the speed limit is now set at 90 kph.

The next phase of safety improvement is being planned for.

I have had discussions with Main Roads for an overpass similar in design to the Granger Road/Stoney Camp Road overpass to be built at Chambers Flat Road and  Crowson Lane.

Main Roads are holding a public display on Thursday 2nd July from 5.00pm to 8:30 pm and on Saturday, 4th July from 8.30 am to 12 noon at .the Park Ridge. Shopping Centre, Park Ridge.

Although Queensland government will say it is taking adequate measures to protect and ensure the survival of koalas in South East Queensland concerned Redlands council and residents are questioning the validity of those measures and have a petition - endorsed by State MP Michael Choi (as the process requires) which now appears on the government website. All residents of Queensland are able to support the petition to take steps to prevent koala extinction in South East Queensland.

Koalas have been disappearing from the Redlands Koala Coast area at the rate of 1000 per year and only about 2400 koalas remain. Council, the community and the state government need to work together to stop the inevitable extinction if current land clearing practices continue.

The petition asks parliament to

• Stop the removal of the koala trees;
•  Stop koalas being killed on roads and railway lines;
•  Stop dog attacks;
•  Stop urbanisation from destroying koala habitat; and
•  Start using legislation and money to make these essential survival mechanisms happen.

The petition is available here and closes 30 July 2009.

When your children ask you,

‘What did you do to save the koala?' What will you say?

The koala is likely to become extinct in South-East Queensland unless the State government and local authorities act now.

A major cause of this devastating slide to extinction is avoidable loss of habitat: lost to

• construction of roads,
• power line infrastructure,
• housing estates and
• new school.

The Queensland Government has the power to make the decisions that will stop this loss.

IMPORTANT ACTION TO HELP KOALAS IN SOUTH EAST QUEENSLAND especially the Koala Coast koalas in Redlands and Logan.

The advertisement below appeared in The Australian, Courier Mail, Sydney Morning Herald, Canberra Times, The Age and the Adelaide Advertiser last Saturday 6 June 2009.

Public comment invited

Submissions close COB Wednesday 5 August 2009
National Koala Conservation and Management Strategy
People interested in the management of koalas or koala habitats are invited to have their say on the draft National Koala Conservation and Management Strategy 2009-2014.

The strategy will outline the actions required over the next five years to conserve koalas and their habitat.
Information gathered through the public comment period will be used to make further updates.
The national strategy is being developed jointly by the Commonwealth, states and territories through the Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council.

More information and a copy of the draft strategy can be found at http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/publications/koala-strategy

The koala is an important part of Australia's natural and cultural heritage. The koala is suffering declines in some parts of Australia and according to the federal government website ,management issues vary significantly from region to region. There is a clear need for a strategic approach to the conservation and management of koalas to maximise the effectiveness of conservation efforts. Koala Coast koalas are experiencing such severe threats to their survival their very continuing existance is of major concern. If current popoualion decline continues, the iconic koala in the bush will be extinct in areas of South East Queensland - from their supposed core habitat areas.

AYCC Australian Youth Climate Coalition have emailed the video linked here from youtube to every federal politician's office to remind them that a youth climate movement is building. One minute and forty seconds of pure awesome-ness. Check it out below. Help make this video for AYCC and Power Shift a hit.

The AYCC is a growing coalition of 27 member and partner youth organisations from across Australia whose mission is to build a generation-wide movement to solve climate change, through uniting diverse youth organisations around this common challenge.

Through member groups, they aim to inspire, educate, empower and mobilise young Australians to take action on climate change - coordinating, communicating and networking with each other, and running shared projects and campaigns. Website:http://www.aycc.org.au . A list of member groups and partners is available here. School groups can also become members, please contact Ben at ben.margetts [a] youthclimatecoalition.org