Tug of war between koalas and development

Council warns of crowding

MORETON Bay residents will pay more for houses and live in more crowded suburbs under the State Government’s proposed koala protection plan, Moreton Bay Regional Council has warned.

Regional planning manager Peter Rawlinson told this week’s MBRC co-ordination committee meeting it could mean a shortfall of about 20,000 dwellings.

Mr Rawlinson said the urban footprint might not be big enough to accommodate growth and could force the State Government to look beyond it.

The draft South-East Queensland Koala Conservation State Planning Policy requires at least 30 per cent of land in the top five of 10 koala habitat categories to be preserved.

A council report said analysis of five of the most significant growth areas in the region Morayfield, Narangba east, Dakabin, Mango Hill and Griffin found that 80 per cent of those areas could not be developed under the protection plan. Cr Chris Whiting said he did not expect Deception Bay to be affected.

The report said to offset this loss more intense development in areas not covered by the plan might be needed.

Mayor Allan Sutherland questioned if the consequences would be accepted.

Source: Redcliffe Herald (4 March 2010)

If you're interested in learning more about the Koala protection zones, visit the Department of Environment and Resource Management's website for more details. http://tinyurl.com/ykn8dk8

To talk more about the potential implications this may have for your property investment or development project, call Morpheus Property on 1300 911 576.