Media commenced yesterday on the Save Ballina’s Koalas Campaign.
With the release in November of the Koala Habitat & Population Assessment for the Ballina LGA, the declaration of the entire Woolgoolga-Ballina upgrade as a “controlled action” under the EPBC Act and funding cutbacks there may be a long shot possibility of changing the [RMS] preferred route through the Blackwall Range.
The estimated koala population of Ballina Shire is put at 285-380 with over half in the southern part of the Shire. Section 10 of the highway upgrade will plough through the middle of the Lower Richmond’s koala populations.
The Blackwall Highway Action Group, Ballina Environment Society, Friends of the Koala, Ballina Shire Council and others lobbied hard back around 2005 when the preferred route was being decided, to no avail. We wanted the route to remain where it is. We were ignored and the RTA went ahead, acquiring properties and so on. Last year (over the 2012-13 Christmas holidays) the Environmental Impact Statement was exhibited and in November/December 2013 the Preferred Infrastructure Report was put out for comment.
We understand that under the new bilateral agreement between the Feds and the State governments, the State prepares all the reports/documents, etc for the Fed. Minister to make a determination as to whether or not the impacts are ‘acceptable’. Timing is not clear although we’re hoping that given the exhibition period for the PIR closed on 13 December, there’s still opportunity for a meaningful campaign.
A Public Meeting is being held on Tuesday 18 Feb., 6.30pm for 7pm at the Ballina RSL Club, sponsored by the Ballina Environment Society and Friends of the Koala, Inc.. Speakers: Dr Steve Phillips, author of koala study; Ian Radcliff, EDO and Dr Mehreen Faruqi, MLC
Please send this on through your networks. Email me if you need a flyer.
Lorraine Vass
President | Friends of the Koala, Inc.
T: 6629 8388 [H] | PO Box 5034, East Lismore NSW 2480
24-hour Hotline: 6622 1233 | www.friendsofthekoala.org
