RESIDENTS have accused the Redland City Council of environmental destruction over the proposed clearing of koala habitat at Eprapah Creek for a $1.3 million pathway and bridge.
The track is proposed to allow access from the Villa World Affinity development on Boundary Road to the Victoria Point Shopping Centre.
Eprapah Creek Catchment Landcare Association president Lynne Roberts said the council was forcing the developer to put in unnecessary infrastructure and residents wanted it dropped.
"This is totally unnecessary because there is already a perfectly serviceable bike track that leads from the front of their development along Boundary Road and into the shopping centre,'' Mr Roberts said.
"The amount of clearing of valuable koala habitat and disruption of the corridor is completely unacceptable when we have recently seen the state government report which shows the decline of koalas in the Koala Coast.
"If koala habitat is not safe in supposedly protected Eprapah Creek Corridor, it is not safe anywhere.''
But the council will not budge, with a spokeswoman saying officers would "consider'' residents' concerns as work progressed.
She said the council and community had supported the infrastructure in 2010 when the South East Thornlands Structure Plan was adopted after extensive consultation.
"It is important for public safety to provide pedestrian access to the facilities at Victoria Point away from the busy arterial state roads of Boundary Road and Cleveland-Redland Bay Road,’’ she said.
It is expected the footbridge will be about 40m long and the connecting footpath/cycleway will have 100 metres of boardwalk and 450m of pathway.
It would need State approvals and permits and Villa World would have to plant three koala habitat trees for every one non-juvenile habitat tree removed.
Villa World development manager Peter Johnson declined to comment.
Residents Claire and Scott McInnes said clearing bush to put in a second track when there was one already built along adjoining roads was pointless.
The bushland area behind the shopping centre already had security issues. "I won't use this path through the bush because of security concerns,'' Ms McInnes said.
Cr Paul Golle said he wanted to ensure environmental impact was mitigated.
"Residents ... are rightly concerned about the potential damage to the environment,'' he said. "I have met with council officers and Villa World to discuss options to prevent unnecessary clearing of trees and vegetation.
"I am hoping that by raising these concerns at this stage ... and by discussing if there is a better way to do things, we have a good chance of getting an outcome that allows us to get the best possible results for the community.''
Mr Roberts said the idea was ill conceived. "The amount of clearing of valuable koala habitat and corridor disruption is completely unacceptable.''
