Att 4. Ecological Assessment Report - 555 Louis Bazzo Drive.pdf

6. Koala protection framework (administered by the Department of
Environment, Science and Innovation (DESI))
The koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) is listed in Queensland as endangered by the Queensland Government under
Nature Conservation Act 1992 and by the Australian Government under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity
Conservation Act 1999.

The Queensland Government's koala protection framework is comprised of the Nature Conservation Act 1992, the
Nature Conservation (Animals) Regulation 2020, the Nature Conservation (Koala) Conservation Plan 2017, the Planning
Act 2016 and the Planning Regulation 2017.

6.1 Koala mapping
6.1.1 Koala districts
The parts of Queensland where koalas are known to occur has been divided into three koala districts - koala district A,
koala district B and koala district C. Each koala district is made up of areas with comparable koala populations (e.g.
density, extent and significance of threatening processes affecting the population) which require similar management
regimes.

Section 7.1 identifies which koala district your property is located in.

6.1.2 Koala habitat areas
Koala habitat areas are areas of vegetation that have been determined to contain koala habitat that is essential for the
conservation of a viable koala population in the wild based on the combination of habitat suitability and biophysical
variables with known relationships to koala habitat (e.g. landcover, soil, terrain, climate and ground water). In order to
protect this important koala habitat, clearing controls have been introduced into the Planning Regulation 2017 for
development in koala habitat areas.

Please note that koala habitat areas only exist in koala district A which is the South East Queensland "Shaping SEQ"
Regional Plan area. These areas include the local government areas of Brisbane, Gold Coast, Logan, Lockyer Valley,
Ipswich, Moreton Bay, Noosa, Redland, Scenic Rim, Somerset, Sunshine Coast and Toowoomba (urban extent).

There are two different categories of koala habitat area (core koala habitat area and locally refined koala habitat), which
have been determined using two different methodologies. These methodologies are described in the document Spatial
modelling in South East Queensland.

Section 7.2 shows any koala habitat area that exists on your property.

Under the Nature Conservation (Koala) Conservation Plan 2017, an owner of land (or a person acting on the owner's
behalf with written consent) can request to make, amend or revoke a koala habitat area determination if they believe, on
reasonable grounds, that the existing determination for all or part of their property is incorrect.

More information on requests to make, amend or revoke a koala habitat area determination can be found in the
document Guideline - Requests to make, amend or revoke a koala habitat area determination.

The koala habitat area map will be updated at least annually to include any koala habitat areas that have been made,
amended or revoked.

Changes to the koala habitat area map which occur between annual updates because of a request to make, amend or
revoke a koala habitat area determination can be viewed on the register of approved requests to make, amend or
revoke a koala habitat area available at:
https://environment.des.qld.gov.au/wildlife/animals/living-with/koalas/mapping/koalamaps. The register includes the lot
on plan for the change, the date the decision was made and the map issued to the landholder that shows areas
determined to be koala habitat areas.

6.1.3 Koala priority areas
Koala priority areas are large, connected areas that have been determined to have the highest likelihood of achieving
conservation outcomes for koalas based on the combination of habitat suitability, biophysical variables with known
relationships to koala habitat (e.g. landcover, soil, terrain, climate and ground water) and a koala conservation cost
benefit analysis.

Conservation efforts will be prioritised in these areas to ensure the conservation of viable koala populations in the wild
including a focus on management (e.g. habitat protection, habitat restoration and threat mitigation) and monitoring. This
includes a prohibition on clearing in koala habitat areas that are in koala priority areas under the Planning Regulation
2017 (subject to some exemptions).


Vegetation management report, Department of Resources, 2024                                                           Page 23