Koala refuge plans canned
PLANS to expand a koala hospital on Magnetic Island have been dumped after the proponents elected not to defend a court appeal by a Townsville businessman.
Townsville City Council’s planning committee this week noted the outcome with one of the councillors, Mark Molachino, saying he was disappointed.
“I remember at the time it was quite a good plan,” Cr Molachino said.
The Magnetic Island Koala Hospital operators gained council approval last year to create a camping ground and eucalyptus plantation near their Horseshoe Bay facility. They planned a camping ground for volunteers or tourists, with paying guests and volunteers raising funds for the refuge.
As well as a eucalyptus plantation, they planned soft release areas for rehabilitated koalas, up to 40 camp sites, composting toilets, barbecue, three demountable koala pens and a single dwelling that could be used for accommodation or educational centre.
But submitter Paul Vincent Gleeson appealed the approval. In his submission, Mr Gleeson said camping on the site at 2-8 Pollard St conflicted with the city plan, that there was adequate camping in appropriate zones and that raising money for the hospital conflicted with what should be the primary objective to heal and release animals in the wild.
He said there would also be a conflict with the established koala viewing on the Forts Walk and that establishing a eucalyptus plantation could be contrary to a conservation agreement which covered the property.
Increased activity in the area would probably result in more illegal fires on the beach and further vehicle damage to the dunes, he said.
According to the council, the applicant, Timothy Andrew Bee, subsequently elected to no longer defend the appeal and the court issued final orders that the appeal be allowed and the development application refused.
The operators of the hospital, the Bee family, have been caring for koalas in Horseshoe Bay for 16 years.
They established the koala hospital in 2014 after receiving state funding, bequests and donations, including from mining company Glencore.