I would like to correct some inaccuracies in last week's Redland City Bulletin editorial.
Koalas are an important part of the Redlands that's a fact. The community and Redland City Council care about koalas that's an indisputable fact.
It is also an unfortunate fact that koalas have been on the decline nationally for years for a number of reasons, including disease, vehicle strikes and dog attacks.
But to claim as the editorial did that Redlanders don't care about koalas and council is not doing enough to protect them is not only false, but gives the impression the responsibility for the decline in numbers and for reversing the trend rests solely with council.
The reality is that council does not control every tree in the Redlands and every tree that is removed or pruned is not as a result of a council approval. Nor do we have complete control over developments.
The community would be much better served if this newspaper helped educate the public about the constraints under which councils operate and explain the legal requirement to comply with government planning legislation.
We don't just make planning decisions based on personal views; they have to reflect government legislation and we have to be able to defend our position in court. We don't want to waste ratepayers' money on court battles we can't win.
Where a development requires a koala tree to be removed we impose offsets to ensure future koala habitat is provided. We receive about 3000 requests each year from the community to cut down trees. Very few requests are approved. There are strict guidelines covering the removal of trees.
Last week's editorial was in response to the front page story that listed developments that resulted in trees being removed or earmarked for removal.
The editorial failed to acknowledge that council had no say over the removal of many of these trees.
State government legislation sets the overriding controls when it comes to koala habitat and council is bound by this legislation. We do what we can within that legislation.
Council has spent millions of dollars over the years trying to protect koalas, including planting 38,000 koala food trees over the past five years in strategic locations designed to create koala corridors for future koala populations.
Despite this, numbers continue to decline.
The statistics show koalas can't be saved one tree at a time. What we have done in the past has not worked. We need a new approach, based on science and not emotion. We need real solutions.
The only way we are likely to make a difference is to stop the finger-pointing and for the three tiers of government, scientists, business and the community to work together.
Mayor Karen Williams, Redland City Council
