A voice for koalas in the Redlands

www.koalagroup.asn.au email:admin@koalagroup.asn.au

DIARY DATES
FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 28 10AM-1PM Magnificent Mammals Day at IndigiScapes Centre, 17 Runnymede Rd Capalaba Take the family to celebrate the Redlands amazing mammals including the koala. Meet a koala from the Daisy Hill Koala Centre and enjoy craft activities, face painting and a free sausage sizzle.

Koala Count-a-thon Weekend

Each year the Koala Act ion Group, with Redland City Council and DERMs support, conduct a phone-in survey to gain a clear picture of the location of koalas in the Redlands. Koala spotting and recording of each sighting provides valuable SUNDAY OCTOBER 7 information for koala conservation. 8.30-10.30AM Koala Action Group President Debbie Pointing said October is an ideal KAG TREE PLANTING time to conduct the survey to coincide with the koala breeding season when Dasen Street, Thornlands Enter off Clifford Perske Drive, koalas are most active. Community participation is paramount to the success via South St or Thornlands Rd. of the survey and participants will be asked for the exact location of the Map UBD205 Q8 koala, its health status, the type of tree it is in (eucalypt or other) and whether KAG acknowledges the valuable they can identify the sex, said Debbie. assistance of the Foundation for Successful koala spotting starts with learning more about the koalas National Parks and Wildlife favourite type of gum trees, by keeping an eye out for scratching on tree (FNPW) for their contribution to funding for the KAG tree trunks and noticing droppings on the ground around tree bases. plantings. The annual survey is an extremely valuable tool, providing both a clearer picture of koala distribution throughout the Redlands and an opportunity to gather information from residents about their local koalas. The sightings recorded over the survey weekend will be individually recorded on a map and entered onto a database.

SATURDAY OCTOBER 20 & SUNDAY OCTOBER 21 ANNUAL KOALA PHONE IN SURVEY Conducted by KAG in conjunction with Redland City Council. See details this page. SUNDAY NOVEMBER 4 KAG TREE PLANTING 8.30-10.30AM Location: TBA in local paper.

Phone 3820 1103 between 8am and 5pm Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st October If you see or hear a koala anywhere in the Redlands on either of those days, we want to know about it!
Sightings can also be registered online at www.koalacentral.com.au and www.facebook.com/koalacentral Volunteers needed!
If you would like to help answer phone calls and collect the survey data for a few hours on either Saturday 20th or Sunday 21st October, please phone KAG on 3823 5575 to register your interest. The call centre is at IndigiScapes, Capalaba and refreshments will be provided throughout the day. KAG would also appreciate volunteers to scout specific urban areas (not on private property) during the survey weekend.

This newsletter is produced by The Koala Action Group Qld Inc Address: PO Box 660 Capalaba Qld 4157 ABN: 85 618 891 610 Phone/Fax: 3823 5575
email: admin@koalagroup.asn.au web address: www.koalagroup.asn.au

Wildflower bushwalk
KAG members and friends enjoyed a glorious spring weather walk in late August in the Scribbly Gums Conservation Area in Cleveland. The native iris (Patersonia), native sarsaparilla (Hardenbergia violacea) and boronia were all out in bloom, and natives sedges and grasses were plentiful. It was encouraging to see many trees with koala scratches and one had an abundance of scats (koala droppings) at the base. We were told by a neighbouring property owner that they had heard the familiar grunting of a koala only the night before our walk. This pocket of conservation area has a large area of old growth trees, including tallowwood, seeana, grey gums and scribbly gums. A lot of these trees have hollows all of which are important for nesting birds, gliders and other species of mammals. We also spotted a large raptors nest nestled high up on a tree branch. The Scribbly Gums Conservation Area is easily accessed at the end of Coburg Street West, Cleveland. Its well worth a visit .

Patron Helen Murray President Debbie Pointing V/President & Policy Advisor Lynn Roberts Secretary Judy Blaik Treasurer Ken Rawlins Newsletter Jenny Anthony Debbie Pointing Executive Members Chris Bray Dawn Halliday Sue Whitelaw (Tree Planting Convenor)

Future of State-owned land in question

A 66 hectare parcel of land adjoining the Scribbly Gums Conservation Area (see arrows on map and article above right) is owned by the Department of P r ima r y I ndu st r ies ( DP I ) Redlands Research Station. It has Hilliards Creek running through the centre of it. A section of the western side of the site has been a Poultry Research Centre but is no longer in use. The Hilliards Creek Corridor area is widely recognised as having significant ecological values and is an important movement corridor for wildlife that links up with other areas of equal importance (see map). KAG will be working with Council and the State government to ensure that this land is protected from any inappropriate uses. KAG maintains that the area mu st be g iv e n s e r io u s consideration for use as an offset for the many hectares of bushland lost in the same region for previous expansion and future development of the Redlands Hospital at Cleveland. Report any koala sightings www.koalacentral.com.au

For sick or injured wildlife REDLANDS WILDLIFE CARE NETWORK 3833 4031 or 1300 130 372
Let us know if you would like to receive this newsletter electronically and help KAG save on stationery and postage costs. email: admin@koalagroup.asn.au

Federal koala vulnerable listing

In 2011, the Threatened Species Scientific Committee (TSSC) combined available data for Koala populations across their natural range and generated estimates of the decline experienced over the period 19902010 by the national Koala population and, separately, the combined Queensland, NSW and ACT population (TSSC 2011bi). The parameters of greatest uncertainty are the size of the Queensland population in 1990 and rate of subsequent decline, particularly in inland bioregions, and the size of the Victorian population. The following table is a summary of the TSSC assessment of national Koala populations (TSSC 2012p): Region Queensland New South Wales Victoria South Australia National total Date 1990 2010 1990 2010 1990 2010 1990 2010 1990 2010 Combined Queensland and New 1990 South Wales total 2010 Best estimate 295 000 167 000 31 400 21 000 215 000 200 000 32 000 19 500 573 400 407 500 29% 39% 7% 33% 43% Decline

326 400

188 000

42% Source: http://www.environment.gov.au

Federal koala listing what does it mean? At a special meeting in August Jo Bragg, Principal Solicitor with the Environmental Defenders Office (EDO) kindly provided KAG and other community groups with an overview of the new Federal listing of koalas as vulnerable under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). Jo gave examples of how the listing could affect developments that had already been approved where no actual works had been started. Below is a brief summary of Jos presentation. Qld, NSW and ACT koala populations were listed as vulnerable under the EPBC Act in May 2012. Under the EPBC Act any action, (i.e. development) likely to have a significant impact on koalas and/or other listed species is required to be referred to and approved by the Federal Environment Minister. This is in addition to any State approvals. The Traveston Dam is an example of an EPBC refusal. The Significant Impact Guidelines-Matters of Environmental Significance state that an action is likely to have a significant impact (and need referral) if it will: decrease or fragment a population; adversely affect species habitat; disrupt the breeding cycle; introduce disease or introduce invasive species to the habitat. If the referral is deemed as a controlled action it will go through an assessment process and depending on the results of the assessment the Federal Environment Minister has the power to revoke, vary or add any condition, suspend an approval for a period or revoke an approval.
For further information on the listing go to: www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/species/koala.html. Also visit the EDO website www.edo.org.au/edoqld to find out more about the important work this community-based organisation does.

Did you know?

The koala is well suited to its life in the trees. Unlike other arboreal marsupials such as the tree kangaroo, the koala does not have an external tail, although vestiges of a tail are still present in the skeletal structure of the koala which indicate that at some time in its evolutionary history an external tail was present. It shares this feature with the wombat. Despite having no tail, the koala has an excellent sense of balance. Its body is lean and muscular and its comparatively long, strong limbs support its weight when climbing. The front and hind limbs are nearly equal in length and much of the koalas climbing strength comes from the thigh muscle joining the shin much lower than in many other mammals. The koalas paws are specially adapted for gripping and climbing. Rough pads on the palms and soles help it to grip tree trunks and branches, and both front and hind paws have long sharp claws. Each paw has five digits. On the front paw, two digits are opposed to the other three, rather like a humans thumb, so they are both able to be moved in opposition to the other three (see photo below left). This allows the koala to grip more securely. Distinctive parallel koala scratch marks on tree trunks are due to this particular characteristic (see photo below right). On the hind paw, there is no claw on the biggest digit, which is opposable to the others for gripping and the second and third digits are fused together to form a double-clawed digit which is used for grooming purposes, such as for removing ticks. Source: The Australian Koala Foundation: www.savethekoala.com.au

Photo: Dick Marks

Photo: Phillip Wright

Photo: Jenny Anthony

KAG Membership:Application/Renewal. Please complete the following

and forward to: KAG: PO Box 660, Capalaba Qld 4157
Fees can now be made via direct debit to: Koala Action Group Qld Inc. BSB: 484-799 Account No. 001748631 and include your name in the reference line.
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Annual membership rates: Single:$15; Family:$25; Pensioner:$10; Under 18:$10 (Donation:optional) Please specify membership type. If youre interested in any of the following, please indicate. Tree planting { } Help with displays { } Letterbox drops { } Wildlife Rescue { } I apply for membership of the Koala Action Group Qld Inc and enclose my membership fee. Signature: Date:

Is your membership overdue? See renewal date on newsletter envelopes address label.