Do it for the koalas, pleads minister
KOALAS would benefit from a ban on developer donations to council candidates as less habitat would be destroyed, according to state Environment Minister Steven Miles.
The claims come after the Crime and Corruption Commission report into last year’s Gold Coast City Council elections handed down yesterday recommended all donations from developers be stopped.
“I have got no doubt that there have been decisions made by local councils to approve developments in koala habitat after they have received donations,” Mr Miles said.
He said whether there was a conflict in that decision was up to “other people” to determine.
“I do believe that this decision to remove the perception of conflict off the back of developer donations will make it easier to stop those developments in those places were koala habitat will be protected,” Mr Miles said.
Mr Miles said the rate of tree clearing reached 395,000 hectares in 2015-2016, according to the annual deforestation report released today.
The amount of land cleared amounts to about 1000 football fields every day.
Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate said he was “disappointed” Mr Miles had linked the CCC report to koala conservation.
“Our City Plan protects at least 51 per cent of our city footprint and we have extensive koala conservation plans in place,” Cr Tate said. “I’m happy to send him a copy of these so he can have the facts.’’