Justine Elliot (Richmond, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the very urgent need to protect the koala population on the Tweed Coast in my electorate of Richmond. I am advised there are currently around 150 koalas left on the Tweed Coast, and our community desperately wants them protected. I support the call from local environmental group Team Koala, from the Tweed Shire Council and from the New South Wales opposition for a dog ban in the Kings Forest housing development to protect the largest koala colony in the Tweed.

The Kings Forest development comprises 4½ thousand lots on 880 hectares on the Tweed Coast. These plans for Kings Forest include housing for around 15,000 people and related public infrastructure. Parts of this development will affect known koala habitat. Currently the application is before the federal Minister for the Environment for his approval, having already been approved by the New South Wales state government.

Team Koala and our community are calling for a dog ban, speed limits, corridors and overpasses in the housing development to protect koalas living there. There is no doubt that these developments need very careful environmental consideration, and I call on both the federal and state governments to recognise the need to protect our koalas and our koala habitat on the Tweed Coast.

I would particularly like to acknowledge the great work of Jenny Hayes, from Team Koala, and Dave Norris. They have worked hard to ensure that the plight of the Tweed Coast koala has been constantly highlighted to the community, and their tireless commitment and dedication has been an inspiration to us all.

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