Koalas on track to be M2 roadkill

THE largest remaining koala population in the city’s north is facing a head-on collision with a proposed second Pacific motorway.

LNP leader Deb Frecklington recently stood by her party’s election promise to build a duplicate $500 million six-lane highway from Staplyton to Nerang.

The Palaszczuk government has not committed to building the road in the near term, but has gazetted the necessary land along the Intra-Regional Transport Corridor (IRTC).

The city council, in its future regional transport plan, also sees the alternative motorway as the key to solving the city’s gridlock.

But mapping obtained by the Bulletin shows the IRTC will pass through the major koala population east of the M1 in the city’s north.

Worse, it appears koalas moving out due to developments like the Coomera Town Centre are settling in the protected corridor for the planned road.

Recommendations from the East Coomera Koala Population Study call on the council to liaise with the Department of Transport and Main Roads to request “fauna connectivity structures be factored into the engineering designs” of the IRTC.

At least two large sections of the planned alternative motorway west of Kerkin Rd would need the structures and another west of Yawalpah Rd in the north, the mapping shows.

The report by consultant Biolink urged the council to meet with land owners to discuss installing one-way koala exclusion fencing in key strategic locations to prevent “dispersing aged koalas” from entering residential areas.

Planning committee chairman Cameron Caldwell said the IRTC was a critical piece of transport infrastructure and the council was helping the Government deliver it “knowing it will impact on koala habitat.”

“It is important that the IRTC design is sensitive to the connectivity and safety of the existing and future population,” he said.

The Coomera Conservation Group said it had approached the State Government about the planning of the IRTC.

Spokeswoman Nicole Taylor said the group spoke to Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey about koalas moving away from developments next to the IRTC and settling in the corridor.

“They didn’t have any other locations,” Ms Taylor said.

“If it goes ahead they will have to do their absolute best so they don’t end up on the road.”