Greedy National MPs v Koalas

[Black Orchid]

Nationals MPs threaten to quit NSW government unless koala protection watered down.

Conservationists blast Chris Gulaptis and Gurmesh Singh, saying ‘the demise of the koala’ would be expedited if they get their way.

A conservation lobby group has pilloried two Nationals MPs for threatening to quit the New South Wales government and move to the crossbench if new koala protection regulations are not altered, saying “the demise of the koala” would be expedited if they get their way.

Chris Gulaptis, the MP for Clarence, said he would move to the crossbench if the government doesn’t review the Koala Habitat Protection State Environmental Planning Policy, which came into effect in March this year.

The policy simplifies the process by which koala habitats are recognised and protected and extends the number of protected tree species from 10 to up to 65.

Gulaptis said in a statement on Wednesday the policy was ill-founded, harmed regional communities and “essentially determines every part of NSW is koala habitat”.

He said he wanted a review of the Koala Habitat Protection SEPP which struck a better balance between conservation and commerce, or he would move to the crossbench.

“This is such a significant issue for [my] electorate I have to draw a line in the sand. I won’t stand by and see regional communities and livelihoods decimated,” Gulaptis said.

Coffs Harbour Nationals MP Gurmesh Singh on Thursday made the same threat, telling Triple M Coffs Coast Radio a compromise was crucial on the number of SEPP-protected tree species.

But the Nature Conservation Council on Thursday said in a statement the SEPP needed to be strengthened, not diluted, after last season’s unprecedented bushfires in NSW.

A NSW parliamentary inquiry found in July that koalas would lose their habitat and become extinct in NSW before 2050 unless the government urgently intervened.

It also found the current estimate of 36,000 koalas living in the NSW wild was outdated.

“If we want our children and grandchildren to see koalas in the wild, we have to stop destroying their forests,” council chief executive Chris Gambian said in a statement.

“If Mr Gulaptis and [NSW deputy premier and Nationals leader] John Barilaro get their way, the demise of the koala is guaranteed to happen even faster than projected.”

https://www.theguardian.com/environment ... tered-down

Gulaptis and Singh were apparently worried this would impact their land. Let them cross the floor and then they can walk right out the door.

[sprintcyclist]

It takes me a while to sort through the waffle and hyperbole.
Here is my understanding.

There WAS a koala plan. It involved a process to recognise a koala area and protected 10 tree species
In March this was changed so the process is simplified and now 65 trees are protected.

2 pollies are saying it will have a detrimental effect on their areas.
Some nature group is saying they want it further toughened

Is that the status ?

[Juliar]

How much can a koala bear ?

[Juliar]

One detects a Greeny hidden agenda here where these creeps are trying to exploit the koala thing to try to stop logging.

"It is protecting trees and not necessarily the trees that koalas live off," Mr Gulaptis said




Koala policy upping farmers' responsibility draws Nationals MP threat to head to the crossbench
ABC North Coast / By Bronwyn Herbert and Joanne Shoebridge Posted 6 days ago, updated 6 days ago


koala climbing a tree in northern rivers region of NSW. A proposed NSW Government policy looks to tighten planning laws to help koalas.(Supplied: Friends Of The Koala)

A North Coast MP has threatened to head to the crossbench if the New South Wales Government forces farmers to search for koalas on their properties.

Key points:
A NSW Nationals MP says he will go to the crossbench and not support State Government policy
New planning regulations include increasing the number of protected tree species that trigger koala checks
The MP is concerned more green tape will impact farmers and timber industry

The new environmental planning regulations, the Koala Habitat Protection State Environment Planning Policy (SEPP), are an attempt to protect koala populations.

But the Nationals' Member for Clarence, Chris Gulaptis, said the new rules, which include increasing the number of tree species protected from 10 to 123, is a step too far and would severely limit the way property owners manage their land.

"It is protecting trees and not necessarily the trees that koalas live off," Mr Gulaptis said.

"Urban expansion, car kills, chlamydia [that kills koalas] — it's not necessarily the timber industry, nor is it because of the farmers that have cleared the land."


a koala sitting in a Cadaghi tree in Girard's Hill, Lismore. The new policy aims to better protect koalas, but has divided the NSW Government.(Supplied: Di Lymbury)

Crossing the floor
Mr Gulaptis said he will risk his position within Government ranks in order to support the regional communities he represents.

"It's not an idle threat," he said.

"I don't have faith in every policy the Government introduces and I'm prepared to go to the crossbenches. They can't expect my vote on every piece of legislation."

The Nationals MP said there was a clear difference in the way the environment was handled in cities and country areas.

"In the city they can go out and go ahead and clear all they like for the Badgery's Creek airport, a development of state significance, so it is one set of rules for them," he said.

"But in the country — if a farmer or a private landowner wants to take a few logs off to have a livelihood, or so the local timber mill can be supported and we can have workers in our area and we can have our economy boosted — when they are threatened then I have to stand up for them.

"We still have koalas in our areas. The three billion native species that were killed in the bushfires weren't killed because of the timber industry or the farmers.

"Quite frankly, it was because of the mismanagement of our natural state."

Mr Gulaptis said there was a lack of resources to look after New South Wales' national parks and forests.

"We are really going to have a serious impact on our regional industries in our regional communities — like timber, farming, and horticulture — and it is certainly not going to save or preserve the koalas," he said.

Tension erupts between Coalition partners
Deputy Premier John Barilaro acknowledged there had been six months behind closed doors negotiations with Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Planning Minister Rob Stokes over the controversial koala policy.

"I'm prepared to bring in a repeal bill to the Parliament if we don't resolve this. I don't want to lose someone like Chris Gulaptis," Mr Barilaro said.

"We are sick to death in the regions of being 'the biodiversity offset' for Sydney.

"Sydney is laying down record amounts of asphalt, concrete, and buildings, and no respect to their issues around the environment.

"To feel better about themselves they sanitise the regions and allow no development or future growth and we can't accept that."

Ecologist sympathetic to concerns
Koala ecologist Dr Steve Phillips said he had sympathy with Mr Gulaptis argument because the new policy had ramped-up the list of tree species to include any tree that a koala might like to live in, rather than focusing on those key trees that were essential for a koala to survive.

"The safety net has been extended by including a larger number of trees. That puts some onus on developers of land who will be required to use those trees," Dr Phillips said.

"The reality is that many of them simply aren't preferred by koalas so it will introduce quite a bit of extra work for people."

"I'm quite disappointed with the tree list."

New policy based on extensive research
NSW Planning Minister Rob Stokes said the changes were about modernising koala protection laws.

"They were rudimentary when they were first introduced," he said.

Mr Stokes said there was misinformation circulating, specifically that farmers would not be required to do koala surveys unless they were developing the land.

"Frankly they would have to be [building] a pretty bloody big shed and involve cutting down a hell of a lot of trees in order to trigger the provisions of the SEPP," the minister said.


Koalas caught in fires. Last season's bushfires left thousands of koalas dead and many more without habitat.(ABC News: Rachel Carbonell)

He said it would be different when a farmer wanted to sell some land to a property developer and it involved clearing a forest in order to build houses.

"It's fair enough then that there should be an obligation to check whether it's going to have an impact on koala populations," Mr Stokes said.

Timber industry calls for review
The Planning Minister said the tree list for koala habitat has been extended to 123 right across the state, but it differed depending on the region.

"The most trees that needed to be addressed as part of maintaining a koala habitat would be about 60," Mr Stokes said.

The director of Timber NSW, Steve Dobbins, said he was concerned the koala planning regulations would not protect the very species they were intended to look after.

"We need to recognise the threats to koalas, including disease, drought, and what we've seen in this last past summer with wildfire — they are the threatening processes," he said.

"This koala SEPP does nothing to protect koalas."

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-09-02/ ... s/12619956

[Juliar]

Koalas have overbred like rabbits. But the Greenies ignore this of course as they want to stop logging of the forests.


'They're like rabbits': Wildlife experts call for post-fires koala plan
By Rachael Dexter January 23, 2020 — 7.30pm



Wildlife experts have called for a long-term management plan for Victoria's koalas and, in the wake of devastating bushfires, warned against well-intentioned public appeals that may distract from measures needed to stabilise the species.

Australia's koala population has gained worldwide attention and raised millions of dollars as shocking images continue to emerge of burnt koalas during the ongoing bushfire season.

"There are so many misconceptions among the public," says Dr Desley Whisson, a lecturer in Wildlife and Conservation Biology at Deakin University.

Dr Whisson says many people are unaware that in some areas koalas are over-populating which strips habitats of enough food - leading to food scarcity and, in the worst cases, starvation.

French Island in Victoria's Western Port is home to a large population of koalas that were introduced to the predator-free island in the 1890s, in an effort to rescue the species after hunting decimated numbers on the mainland.

The animals were then used to repopulate the mainland, and now their descendants are widespread across Victoria, and as far as Kangaroo Island in South Australia.


A koala on the roadside on French Island, where local ecologist Chris Chandler estimates there are at least one thousand too many bears for the habitat to sustain.CREDIT:RACHAEL DEXTER

At the weekend, a bushfire burned more than 85 hectares of national park on French Island, raising fears for the koala population - a major drawcard for the hamlet island of 100 people.

Local ecologist and treasurer of the Friends of French Island volunteer group Chris Chandler estimates the local population to be around 3000, on an island of 170 square kilometres.

“They're phenomenal, they’re like rabbits,” he said.

But he says these koalas, or 'teddies’ as locals refer to them, have exploded in numbers to the detriment of the island's manna gum and swamp gum woodlands.

A retired CFA captain has lost almost half a million dollars’ worth of property on French Island, as he was protecting the township rather than his own property.

Koalas typically eat around four kilograms of eucalyptus leaves per day, and a healthy ratio is considered one koala per hectare according to the Department of Land, Water and Planning.

In the past, the DELWP estimated there were up to eight koalas per hectare on French Island - which led to an intervention.

In 2017, more than 400 sterilised French Island koalas were relocated to Kinglake, due to lack of food for them on the island.

Commonwealth law prohibits koala culls which means states are limited in ways to manage over-abundance, said Dr Whisson.


A koala sits in an 'overgrazed' Eucalypt tree on French Island. CREDIT:CHRIS CHANDLER

“There's two options really – there's fertility control and translocation," she said.

But both options have downsides: the capture, sterilisation and release of koalas is expensive and needs to be done at a large scale to make a significant impact on overpopulated areas – while translocation has its own pitfalls.


A young manna gum tree broken by hungry French Island koalas. Over grazing can kill trees completely.CREDIT:CHRIS CHANDLER

"Having places to put koalas is becoming more and more of an issue, because most habitats are already full,” she said.

Introduced French Island koalas exploded in numbers in the Otway National Park, which eventually resulted in 700 starving koalas being euthanised in 2013 and 2014.

In the wake of bushfires that have torn through wildlife, translocation may be on the table again in years to come.

A spokesperson from the Department of Land, Water and Planning said the impacts of the fires on French Island and the koala population are still being assessed.

"If there are any impacted koalas on French Island and there is no suitable unoccupied habitat available on the island then these animals will be taken into care and released as suitable habitat is identified," they said.

Mr Chandler slammed the 2017 koala Kinglake relocation as a waste of money and a ‘purely emotional response’, as the koalas were all sterilised before being relocated.

“It just created a retirement village for dying koalas in Kinglake”.

In the wake of this season’s bushfires, which scientists fear may have killed 'many billions' of animals nation-wide, both Dr Whisson and Mr Chandler want to see government resources focused on preserving genetically-diverse koala species.

“Most people think we have lots of koalas, but in actual fact that doesn’t mean we have a stable population,” said Mr Chandler.

“All the koalas from French Island are really closely related, so if we ever got an epidemic of a new disease, they wouldn’t survive”.

Koala's found in the Strzelecki Ranges in south-eastern Victoria, for example, have been found to be more genetically diverse, and therefore more resilient to possible disease epidemics.


A Koala in Cape Otway in a stripped Manna Gum tree. Koalas were re-introduced to Cape Otway in the 1970s, sourced mainly from French Island. CREDIT:DESLEY WHISSON

Dr Whisson said she was frustrated by a lack of a 'long-term management plan' across the state, and hoped the current public focus on Australia's wildlife could fuel a rethink at government level.

“We need a state-wide strategy that addresses both the overabundant populations and areas where populations might be declining,” she said.

“I would like to see some evidence-based decisions, and some of those aren’t going to be particularly acceptable to the public, but what else do you do?”

“You can’t just keep going doing ad hoc management”.

https://www.theage.com.au/national/vict ... 53t1x.html