UPDATE: More Koala Habitat Under Threat!!!

The same development proposal puts our core native vegetation and Koala corridors at risk, as a developer's remaining Koala habitat stands in the way! 

But with your support, I am submitting a formal executive letter and this petition to the South Burnett Regional Council's CEO and Leadership Team, requesting strong statutory protections, pre-clearing baselines, and title-registered covenants for these critical vegetation stands. (The letter is below)

Additionally, you can lodge your formal objection to this proposed development before submissions close. on 30/10/2026. You can access the development information here: https://www.southburnett.qld.gov.au/Business/Building-and-development/Planning-and-development/Public-notifications

Letter to the CEO: 

SUBJECT: PETITION & OPEN LETTER TO THE CEO: Urgent Protection of the South Burnett’s Natural Heritage - A Community Vision for Sustainable Growth and Koala Habitat Protection. (Supported by 3,706 Signatories | Key Case Study: Boonenne Ellesmere Road, Taabinga – DA Lot 62 on FY2526 / Lot 1 on RP157007)

Part 1: The Formal Executive Letter & Call to Action (Pages 1–3)

Part 2: Appendix – Verified Petition Signatories (87 Pages)

Dear Chief Executive Officer,

The South Burnett is defined by its rural beauty, rich natural landscapes, and unique wildlife. Recent history at Boonenne Ellesmere Road, Taabinga (Lot 62 on FY2526 and Lot 1 on RP157007), where 60 acres were blanket-cleared before the current 49-lot subdivision proposal, has brought a critical regional issue into sharp focus.

Across our region, a concerning trend has emerged where cheaper, densely timbered parcels are acquired and cleared prior to formal development assessment. Clearing land ahead of a Development Application (DA) artificially inflates yield potential and degrades environmental assets before Council planners can assess them. This Taabinga parcel offers Council a defining opportunity to set a strong precedent: ensuring that pre-DA clearing does not lower environmental standards or relax planning scheme enforcement.

1 - Safeguarding Our Region's Living Biodiversity Assets
Local wildlife surveys and community records confirm an active, high-density Koala population across the South Burnett. These native animals are a source of immense community pride, regional identity, and future eco-tourism potential.

Protecting core urban-fringe and rural-residential Koala populations relies directly on local government planning decisions. Council has a strategic duty of care to ensure assessment processes align strictly with the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act), the Vegetation Management Act 1999, and state biodiversity frameworks, ensuring development does not cause incremental, uncoordinated habitat loss.

2 - Protecting Regional Character, Valuable Vegetation & Endangered Species
The environmental pressures observed at Taabinga reflect a wider regional pattern. Across the South Burnett, incremental clearing of Category B remnant vegetation (including mapped Essential Habitat and core Regional Ecosystems), as well as Category C and R vegetation, cumulatively fragments critical wildlife corridors.

Our 3,706 petition supporters recognise the importance of regional housing and economic growth. However, sustainable development should be directed toward already cleared, low-environmental-value land that has existing access to roads, water, and civil infrastructure. Prioritising cleared infill areas over densely timbered bushland protects local biodiversity, minimises community bushfire risk, and optimises Council's long-term infrastructure spend.

3 - Planning Scheme Compliance

The South Burnett Regional Council Planning Scheme contains clear strategic intents for Rural Residential zones. Placing intensive residential footprints directly adjacent to protected Category B remnant vegetation creates direct conflict with Council’s established framework:

-        Protection of Remnant Ecosystems & Natural Assets: Under Section 3.2 (Settlement Pattern) and Section 3.5 (Natural Systems & Sustainability), rural residential development must avoid eroding remnant regional ecosystems, native vegetation corridors, and local biodiversity values.

-        Preserving Ecological Functions & Corridor Continuity: Strategic outcomes require development to avoid clearing that compromises fauna movement corridors.

-        Biodiversity Overlay (Overlay Map OM5) Compliance: Under Section 6.2.14 (Rural Residential Zone Code), Overlay Map OM5 (Biodiversity Areas), and provisions under the Planning Regulation 2017, new building footprints and civil works must be confined strictly to unmapped or previously cleared land.

A Call for Council Leadership

On behalf of 3,706 petition supporters, we request the CEO and executive leadership adopt the following proactive standards across all current and future planning assessments - ensuring permanent protection for our regional Koala populations, high-value native vegetation, and threatened wildlife species:

1 - Enforce Strictly Defined Building Footprints: Mandate that all building envelopes, access roads, and infrastructure - starting with the Taabinga DA, be strictly confined to previously cleared land. Permanently protect mapped biodiversity overlays, native regrowth over 15 years old, core Koala corridors, and mature roadside verge trees (including hollow-bearing trees). 

2 - Legally Binding Covenants & Asset Protection Zones (APZs): Apply title-registered preservation covenants under Section 97A(3)(b) of the Land Title Act 1994 prior to plan sealing. This guarantees permanent, legally binding protection for the remaining intact native plants, koala habitat, waterways and natural features across generations before any new lots are created or sold. Additionally, include all mandatory bushfire Asset Protection Zones (APZs) and firebreaks to be contained entirely within cleared building footprints at the developer’s expense, preventing future "clearing by stealth" within conservation areas.

3 - Stop Unapproved Vegetation Clearing:

-        Enforce provisions within the Planning Act 2016 that require all developments to be judged on their original, un-cleared state. Assessing proposals against historical satellite imagery and ecological data ensures that knocking down native bushland prior to Council submission never results in relaxed environmental standards or higher density approvals, removing the economic reward for clearing land ahead of time.

-        Update future planning scheme reviews to direct residential expansion toward infrastructure-ready, already cleared corridors.

-        Work with community, federal and state governments to ensure accurate mapping of threatened species habitat and ensure communities have an opportunity to object to developments and subdivisions which impact Koala and native habitat. 

By taking these decisive steps, Council leadership can fulfil the shared vision of 3,706 Petition signatories and set a benchmark for sustainable, Koala- and wildlife-friendly living in the South Burnett, before these habitats are lost forever.