Noosa Springs Boutique Hotel

NOOSA SPRINGS BOUTIQUE HOTEL
Lot 4 on SP 178340
Resort Drive

MCU21/0110

22/2/2022

To The Planning Panel,

I am sending this in objection to the proposed development of the Noosa Springs Boutique Hotel.

Every time we clear a block of land we isolate koalas.

Koalas are a landscape species. For genetic diversity, male joeys need to be able to travel between areas of habitat and connect with other males and females.

The consequences are dire if there are no corridors connecting habitat or the corridors are less than optimal in size.

We should protect every tree and re-wild degraded landscapes. In areas of habitat, we are clearing more trees than we can replace. It takes five to 10 years to plant new trees and grow new habitat. Continued clearing for development within a biosphere/ecosystem will lead to a lack of biodiversity and a path to extinction.

This proposal allows for the removal of trees and  relocation’ of the koalas and somehow everything will be a-okay. Koalas have a very high stress level and this is going to push it through the roof.

The disturbance to the koala, the glossy black cockatoo, the landscape, the habitat and all the creatures that lie underneath the koala in that umbrella is an absolute threat to their survival.

Clearly Queensland koala numbers are in crisis and the long awaited uplisting to endangered status by the federal government reflects this. The biggest reason for this listing is habitat loss.

The Noosa Shire Koala Conservation Plan states “the purpose of the plan is to provide a coordinated and structured framework to help conserve and protect koala
populations and habitat within the Noosa Shire. In addition, helping to conserve koalas will provide mutual benefit to other native fauna and ecological communities in Noosa Shire.”

Fragmentation caused by this development is not in line with these conservation goals in your Plan.

This proposal requires the removal of over 70 trees and requires offsetting. Offsetting is a tool to enable development to the detriment of the environment and flora and fauna. If offsets worked koalas and other threatened species would not be in the current predicament they now face. We are altering the landscape of this country and what makes it unique for the profits of companies and enabling development that has pushed the koala to endangered status. Aboriginal tribes and clans had the Koala as a totem animal.

I note the “positive economic impacts” referred to in the Economic Impact Assessment provided by the developer but wonder about the future impacts on the Noosa and Queensland economies of no koalas. When do we draw a line in the sand and say no? When do we stop overseas developers from profiting from the destruction of our landscape?

I object to the development proposal of the Noosa Springs Boutique Hotel for the reasons stated above.

This proposal is also inconsistent with the planning scheme as the majority of the proposed development is
located within the Recreation and Open Space Zone.

We are in a climate emergency and no mature trees should be removed. No koala food trees should be removed and no koalas should be removed for development.

Sincerely,

Georgina Tsiribas