Logan and Albert Conservation Association
The South East Queensland Regional Plan 2009-2031 and the associated regulatory provisions were released on Tuesday 28 July 2009. This plan supersedes the previous South East Queensland Regional Plan 2005-2026 and follows an extensive review and consultation process. There is a swarm of articles, media releases etc as a range of groups read and digest the documents.
The plan is available for reading and download from this Department of Infrastructure and Planning website.
If you are concerned about what is planned to happen in SEQ as far as population growth, housing and future developments - whether the iconic and vulnerable koala and its essential habitat is protected, these documents are essential reading.
Watch this space for more information.
Redands and Sunshine Coast councils have posted their submissions to draft SEQRP - Logan will do so soon and the links for all will be posted here. Scenic Rim submission link will be included when available also.
VERESDALE SCRUB PLANT IDENTIFICATION WORKSHOPS
THIS SATURDAY 1st AUGUST 2009 BETWEEN 8.30am and 11.30am
AT THE BEAUDESERT MARKETS
BEAUDESERT INFORMATION AND ARTS CENTRE
in the Activity Room at the Centre
Cnr Enterprise Drive and Mt Lindesay Highway
The short workshops will be run every 30 minutes and will take participants through the basics of identifying local rainforest plants.
The WORKSHOPS ARE FREE and everyone is welcome.
LACA president and natural resource management guru Andy Grodecki and botanist, botanical arist and rare plant specialist Janet Hauser will be presenting the workshops. Drop in and find our about the endangered dry vine rainforest system which grows only here in the Scenic Rim and Logan City.
These workshops are part of LACA's Envirofund Project funded by the Australian Government
Enquiries: Ph 0408 785448
A group of eight aboriginal young men and women began a 16 week paid work and training program on Tuesday 1 July 2009 with the launch of the Mununjali Green Army Team at the Bilarabyn Reserve, Gleneagle. The project, lead by Mick Morris from BoysTown is the first team funded under the Queensland Government's 'Queensland Green Army' election commitment. Funded by the Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation (DEEDI) the initiative is a joint project between the Mununjali Elders of Beaudesert, the Logan and Albert Conservation Association (LACA), South East Queensland Traditional Owners Alliance Limited (SEQTOA), BoysTown and the Scenic Rim Regional Council.
Aunties Nannette (Bene) Currie and Bonny Currie were also present for the first day of the project to support the young people.
Nannette said "It is so important to give our young people the chance to learn how to work on country and give them a better chance of getting local work".
Lyn Schonefeld from BoysTown and Carla Parker and Andy Grodecki were also there to wish the team well.
The Mununjali Green Army Team will undertake work at the Bilarabyn Reserve which contains endangered Veresdale Scrub vegetation. The project will follow the Bilarabyn Reserve Restoration Management Plan as part of the "Rescue Action for the Veresdale Scrub Strategic Plan 2006 - 2016" under the oversight of the LACA Veresdale Scrub Project Manager Carla Parker and Officers from Scenic Rim Regional Council.
Members of the community have until 22 July 2009 to comment on Draft Recreation Master Plan for the Wyaralong Dam Project . More details are available in Beaudesert Times for 8 July 2009.
According to Queensland Water Infrastructure Pty Ltd, QWI, they have been working with such key stakeholders as
Local groups and governing bodies for independent recreation (e.g bushwalking and orienteering), cycling, water sports and the equine community
Schools and outdoor education providers
Scenic Rim Regional Council
Tourism Queensland
Queensland Outdoor Recreation Federation
Sport and Recreation Queensland
Department of Infrastructure and Planning
The state government is proposing a number of changes to the Koala Plan to address basically two broad issues - for inclusion in the SPP. Your thoughts on the government's proposed responses to these issues are needed to help government draft the SPP before it is released for public consultation later this year.
State governent has identified a number of common concerns they believe are critical to the future viability of SEQ's koala population.
These concerns can be consolidated into two broad issues
Up-to-date and accurate koala habitat maps
Stronger and more effective koala conservation measures, balanced against environmental, social and economic needs.
Share your views online. Clicking on the link to the left will take you to the page to fill in online your comments. Closing date 28 August 2009
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
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
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.