BLINKY BRILLIANT

Plan for ‘Borobi Reserve’ to give Coast koalas new home among the gum trees

GOLD Coast City Council is working on a plan to create an area of protected koala habitat in Coomera dubbed the ‘Borobi Reserve’.

Council officers are scouting locations for the reserve, which has the backing of the Mayor, the Environment Minister and Commonwealth Games organisers GOLDOC.

COUNCIL is planning to declare a “Borobi Reserve” at Coomera as the displacement of Gold Coast koalas reaches crisis point.

Koalas are being killed and injured by dogs and cars in record numbers, with Currumbin Wildlife Hospital recording 418 of the animals admitted last year compared to just 25 in 2007.

Councillors voted unanimously last month to seek state support for a new wildlife reserve in the Coomera area, which is home to the Gold Coast’s largest koala population.

Mayor Tom Tate has thrown his backing behind the plan, which also has the tentative support of Commonwealth Games organiser GOLDOC and Environment Minister Steven Miles.

“I will pen a letter to the (environment) Minister, (telling him) that a Borobi reserve has my support,” Mayor Tate said.

“We are doing more conversation areas for koalas and I would support a further expansion of this.

“As for the name Borobi, I would want to first talk to the indigenous people of the Gold Coast, the Yugambeh people, to get their input ... if they are supportive of that, then so am I.”

Minister Miles said the Palaszczuk Government welcomed proposals for conserving koala habitat.

“The Koala Expert Panel’s report, which will include recommendations on how to conserve koalas, is due before the end of the year,” he said.

“That report will help us consider further steps the government, with the support of the community and local government authorities, need to take to conserve koala habitat.”

GOLDOC CEO Mark Peters said Borobi, the blue koala mascot, presented a unique opportunity to educate people about koala conservation.

“GOLDOC is supportive of any City-led initiative that furthers this cause,” he said.

Councillor Hermann Vorster said council officers had been asked to identify potential sites.

I THINK THERE WOULD BE WIDESPREAD SUPPORT FOR THIS WORK AND THE DECLARATION OF A ‘BOROBI RESERVE’ WOULD REFLECT COUNCIL’S UNDERLYING SUPPORT FOR GETTING THE BALANCE RIGHT.

“There needs to be enough land that would support the existing population and additional land that could be rehabilitated over time to produce food,” he said.

“I think there would be widespread support for this work and the declaration of a ‘Borobi Reserve’ would reflect council’s underlying support for getting the balance right.” Coomera Conservation Group founder Karina Waterman told the Bulletin a minimum 1500ha was needed for conservation in Coomera. “With just under 1000ha of native vegetation and koala habitat expected to be lost in a few short years, it is not surprising that we find koalas in places they should not be – up lampposts, in drains, or wandering displaced and hungry,” she said. “There is a real sense of urgency. We are losing multiple koalas a week. Surely this shows, despite plans and existing actions, what we have now is not enough to stem the tide.”

Ms Waterman said recommendations from more than 10 years ago to preserve wildlife corridors had not been followed.

She said this had resulted in the displacement of koalas.

COUNCILLOR HERMANN VORSTER