July2012_LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Dear Editor,
I wanted to make mention of the actions of people who mistreat animals and then abandon them to fend for themselves. They do this I assume because they can’t afford vet bills, or they have not time or energy to care for the animal. Can I please make a suggestion to these people that there are a number of organisations available who would gladly take the animal off your hands, such as the RSPCA, the animal farm at Dayboro and any other animal welfare agency. It’s extremely traumatic to see an animal which has been malnourished and virtually dumped in the bush and left to die. They are innocent victims most of the time and certainly deserve much better than this. I have always believed that most of our animals give so much to us either as domestic pets or farm animals and we should do all we can to ensure their welfare and wellbeing. I have notified the relevant authorities about this issue and I just hope and pray it doesn’t happen again.
“Name and address withheld by request”
Dear Editor,
Copy of letter still awaiting response from the CEO, Mayor and Councillors of the Moreton Bay Region:
The plight of the koala in the Moreton Bay region
One behalf of 70 members of Koala Action Pine Rivers Inc. (KAPR) I have been asked to write to you with our members concerns.
Since the amalgamation of Pine Rivers with Caboolture and Redcliffe little has been done to help the koalas of this region.
The koala population has declined at an escalating rate since the first Pine Rivers surveys conducted in 1995. In 2004 it could be provided beyond a shadow of doubt that over 30% of the koala population had died in a decade. This precipitated the "regionally vulnerable" classification which has done absolutely nothing to halt the decline in any manner.
The main reason for the escalating decline is the destruction and fragmentation of bushland habitat. To protect the koala resources need to be provided to retain remaining bushland habitat, to rehabilitate secondary habitat and increase its carrying capacity as well as provide funding to replant koala food trees in parks, reserves and open spaces.
In addition, more needs to be done to help koala rescuers continue in their efforts to save sick, injured and orphaned koalas. Much of this work is done in their own time and at their own expense with little support from the Moreton Bay Regional Council.
Greater effort is required to educate the community about the perils koalas face and what can be done at minimal expense to reduce the numbers of koalas hit by motor vehicles and attacked by domestic animals. Motorists need to slow down when driving past parks, reserves and stretches of bushland. Appropriate signage is still required at many koala road hit "hot spots".
Animal control laws are still not of sufficient strength to act as a deterrent to those residents with dogs that do not act in a responsible fashion and restrain their animals, particularly at nights when most koalas are on the move. Property owners need to be informed where koalas are located so that they can ensure they do all that they can to facilitate safe koala movement. This can be easily done via rate notices.
In addition, MBRC needs to commit some of its resources to those researchers studying Chlamydial disease and KoRV. The Moreton Bay region once contained the healthiest koala population in SEQ. Unfortunately that is no longer the case so more must be done to help battle the diseases that affect koalas.
As the Mayor and Councillors of the Moreton Bay region you are in a unique position to play a vital part in preventing the decline of this iconic species and the faunal emblem of Queensland. Its time you all lifted your game in this regard.
There is an urgent need to reconsider the types of development undertaken and their appropriateness to ensure that we preserve and protect remaining habitat as well as facilitate ecological wildlife corridors of at least 100 metre width. Existing koala management plans quite clearly are not doing the job they were intended to do.
Nothing written on a local or state level to protect koalas to date has reduced the numbers of animals being struck by motor vehicles or mauled by domestic animals.
In conclusion, it is up to you to listen, take note and enforce the recommendations made by wildlife scientists and other experts that have advocated involvement by local councils as well as the state government to stem the koala decline. Proactive local efforts in the Moreton Bay region will ensure that we are not the generation that will be known to have bought the koala to extinction in our time.
Thanks.
Vanda Grabowski
Secretary and Education Officer
Koala Action Pine Rivers Inc.
Member of Moreton Bay Koala Rescue.
