DESPITE weeks of requesting a meeting to talk with the Federal Member for Oxley Milton Dick about his position on the imminent clearance of Woogaroo Forest, none has been forthcoming.
The issues I and others contend are that the Stockland application to clear the forest is a flawed document and should have been rejected by the council planner responsible for the area.
The ecological assessment on its own should have led to a rejection.
The woefully inadequate timeframe and clear examples of the lack of information such as no sightings of koalas and gliders, which are well known to be present and recorded, is wanting.
Added to these requests for information on the threatened status powerful owl and endangered greater glider are to my knowledge not provided.
The survey of fauna conducted in as little as two weeks should have been of concern.
It provided no sightings of koalas or greater gliders despite available records of positive sightings.
Further information was requested with regards to the powerful owl and the greater glider. To my knowledge. such evidence was not provided.
The Saunders and Havill report is wanting in the extreme; the platypus recorded in the area did not rate a mention.
This, plus geomorphological, hydrological and traffic flow shortcomings, pointed out by me and others in combination with the ecological assessment should have resulted in the application’s rejection.
Rather, it was approved and as such passed to Council. That, given was the report read, debated and understood is a moot point.
It is therefore, I believe, self-evident that this application is a flawed document.
The coming consideration and proposed decision “behind closed doors” for the approval of stage 3 on February 24 only raises again whether the mayor and councillors will read and understand criticisms here only briefly highlighted.
The council should reject any application to clear any part of the Woogaroo Forest and rather protect it in in its entirety for the people of Ipswich to enjoy in perpetuity.
— David Harris, Ipswich
