Agricultural

12 May, 2026

Koala habitat restoration effort

Recently, about thirty volunteers rolled up their sleeves to plant trees for koala habitat restoration at Southbrook.

The current dry spell meant only 300 trees were planted, however the group is hopeful that eventually a total of 600 will contribute to the establishment of a critical koala movement corridor in the Toowoomba region.

The event brought together local landholders alongside the Darling Downs Environment Council, Pittsworth Landcare and Millmerran Landcare, with sponsorship support from Stroud Builders.

Rebecca Kirby, Co-ordinator of Millmerran and Pittsworth Landcare, said the day was a good opportunity for landholders to observe simple yet effective land management practices, and hoped it would inspire others to get involved.

“Environment and production aren’t separate, they go hand in hand,” she said.

A variety of species was planted including Grey Box (Eucalyptus moluccana), Weeping Bottlebrush (Callistemon viminalis), Silver-leaved Ironbark (Eucalyptus melanophloia), Narrow-leaved Ironbark (Eucalyptus crebra), Red River Gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis), and Bimble Box (Eucalyptus populnea).

The corridor will provide safe passage for not just koalas but for birds, possums, gliders and cattle who will do well with more shade and shelter.

The tree planting event directly followed the lodgement of a recent submission by a coalition of Southern Queensland environmental and community organisations, including Pittsworth, Millmerran and Clifton Landcare, that are calling on the Queensland Government to urgently expand koala conservation efforts beyond South East Queensland (SEQ).

The submission highlights several urgent issues:

• Policy gaps: existing protections largely stop at the SEQ boundary, despite clear evidence of viable koala populations in surrounding regions.

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• Habitat loss and fragmentation: land clearing, development pressures, and outdated mapping frameworks are accelerating habitat decline.

• Volunteer burden: wildlife rescue, rehabilitation, and conservation efforts are overwhelmingly delivered by unpaid volunteers without sustainable funding.

• Missed opportunities: extensive regional data, citizen science, and on-ground expertise are not being adequately integrated into state policy.

The coalition is calling for immediate action through four priority measures:

• Develop a state-wide koala conservation framework

• Extend stronger habitat protections beyond SEQ

• Provide dedicated regional conservation funding

• Fund wildlife rescue and care networks delivering stable, long-term support.

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