Ecological Assessment Letter Report · MCU26/0104

6. Koala protection framework (administered by the Department of the
Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation(DETSI))
 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



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