ENVIRONMENTAL advocates have condemned rehabilitation works along Opossum and Woogaroo creeks as a “missed opportunity” after promises to repair 2km of cleared koala habitat have gone largely unfulfilled.
In early 2023, thousands of trees – including essential koala food species – were bulldozed by Springfield City Group (SCG) and Urban Utilities during extensive sewer works.
“We were told the areas would be restored, but the vast majority of the bulldozed corridor is still full of weeds and bare rock,” a local environmentalist said.
Instead of koala food trees, some sections have been replanted with Lomandra – a native grass that koalas cannot eat.
“If this was meant to be a genuine environmental restoration, it’s hard to see how that promise has been fulfilled,” the environmentalist added.
Mulch has also been spread across flood-prone areas – including over recently filled dirt and gravel – raising fears it will wash into the creek during future floods.
“It’s baffling to see mulch being reintroduced in the very areas where it previously caused damage,” the source said.
Signage on site promised project completion by July 31 – yet damaged fencing remains unrepaired, grass grows sparsely beneath unwatered hessian matting, and large patches are still barren.
Ipswich City Council’s Environment and Sustainability Committee Chairman Jim Madden defended the works, saying council had worked “collaboratively with developers Springfield City Group (SCG), Urban Utilities and the local community to get the best possible outcome for the Opossum Creek environment”.
He said mulching was “a common and supported practice in revegetation projects” and necessary given that construction works had left some areas “void of topsoil and consisting mainly of hydrophobic, compacted subsoils”.
“The mulch used in the Opossum Creek restoration would, if washed into the waterway, replicate the function and inputs of the organic material of a woody forest floor,” Cr Madden said.
Deputy Mayor and Division 2 Councillor Nicole Jonic said ongoing restoration funding had been budgeted, with monitoring planned after weather events.
She noted that koala habitat trees were unsuitable for much of the site because of the underground sewer pipeline, warning that deep-rooted trees “could damage the pipeline” or require removal for access.
Environmentalists remain unconvinced.
“This was meant to be about repairing a koala corridor,” one local said.
“Right now, it’s just grass and mulch. That’s not habitat – it’s environmental neglect.”
SCG and Urban Utilities did not respond to Tribune questions.
