Ipswich residents say controversial housing development threatens vulnerable koala population
Hundreds of residents are lobbying against a housing proposal they say could threaten a koala habitat west of Brisbane. The Spring-View development has been approved by Ipswich council and would see nearly two-thousand homes constructed.
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00:00A wildlife paradise on the edge of suburbia.
00:05The Wagaroo Forest stretches for hundreds of hectares in Ipswich.
00:10It's home to an estimated 200 koalas.
00:13You get all sorts of things, kookaburras wake you up, they're the first things to call out
00:17in the morning.
00:18And from time to time we see the odd koala.
00:21But a recent development proposal is threatening to change that.
00:25The Department for Stockland wants to clear native bushland to make way for 1800 homes,
00:30a child care centre and a local sports park.
00:33Their proposal was endorsed by Ipswich City Council in March.
00:38More than 200 residents have objected.
00:41People in Brookwater will wake up one morning and half of the hillside on the other side
00:45of the creek from there will be gone and that's just total vandalism.
00:51Within 20 years the population of Ipswich is expected to double and demand for housing
00:56will only grow.
00:58We have a lot of homelessness so all three levels of government need to balance those
01:03things to make sure that we get a great outcome for the community.
01:06Stockland says it's still waiting for federal government sign off but says the development
01:11is subject to robust environmental approvals.
01:15Conservationists disagree.
01:17Absolutely we are concerned that in the rush to build housing we're not protecting these
01:23important remnant forests in South East Queensland.
01:27We also know that we can build the houses we need and not destroy this habitat.
01:33One local is so concerned he's written to naturalist Sir David Attenborough asking for
01:38help.
01:39He's still waiting for a reply.
01:41All I would want to do is to get him up into this area and stand where I'm standing now.