On Monday 11 September, our office was made aware of an application made by the Kin Kin Quarry to clear nearly 10h of koala habitat under the Federal Government Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC), that only had a few days left to make comment. Sandy immediately sought advice from the Queensland Department of Environment and Science (DES) and arranged for our office to alert Noosa Council, prominent environmental groups, and post to social media for residents not already aware.
Sandy in Parliament asked a ‘Question Without Notice’ (QWN) of the Queensland Minister for Environment on 14 September, who in summary advised that the proposed vegetation clearing is not authorised under the current State Government Environmental Authority (EA), and any such application received would be assessed thoroughly and rigorously considering impacts to koalas and other matters of state environmental significance.
A copy of the QWN and the answer is below which you can also read in the official Parliamentary records at https://documents.parliament.qld.gov.au/events/han/2023/2023_09_14_WEEKLY.pdf#page=25
Sandy’s QWN
My question is to the Minister for Environment and the Great Barrier Reef. With our community becoming aware this week of the Kin Kin Quarry’s referral under the Commonwealth EPBCA for an expansion involving the clearing of nearly 10 hectares of habitat recognised as critical to the survival of our koalas, what can the minister and government do to stop the further devastation of our community and its inhabitants?
The Minister’s response:
I thank the member for her question. Last Thursday was Threatened Species Day. The koala is an iconic species. The Deputy Premier, who was Acting Premier at the time, and I made an announcement of an additional $4.2 million for Healthy Land & Water to partner with them to make sure they are working with councils around threat mitigation for koalas. I want to acknowledge straightaway how committed our government is. In 2020 we introduced the strongest protections that Queensland has ever seen for koalas. Currently we are conducting a post-implementation review of those regulations. I look forward to ensuring that they are absolutely the most effective protections we can have here. To date we have protected over 577,000 hectares of koala priority area in South-East Queensland. We have protected large and importantly connected areas that include koala habitat as well as areas that are suitable for habitat restoration in an area twice the size of the ACT. Our commitment as a government towards the conservation of this threatened species is absolutely without question. In regard to Kin Kin, I am aware that the existing quarry operation is authorised under an EA by my department and an existing development approval has been issued by local government. However, the proposed clearing of protected vegetation is not currently authorised under that EA. The area in question falls within high-quality, core koala habitat, as the member outlined. My department has not yet received an EA application in relation to the proposed expansion of the Kin Kin Quarry. The proponent may need to obtain approval under the EPBC at Commonwealth level. They have invited public comment, which I understand closes today. I encourage the member for Noosa to encourage her community to make comment on whether that action should be a controlled action and whether it should require Commonwealth approval. The operator may also need to amend the development approval with local government and seek approval through the state government through the State Assessment and Referral Agency process. Please be assured that any application received by the state and my department will be assessed thoroughly and rigorously, as it should be, through the state assessment and referral process. That will include consideration of any impacts on koalas, other matters of state environmental significance and indeed any other environmental values. I thank the member for raising it. I encourage her to encourage her community to make their voices known.
Information on the Kin Kin Quarry’s EPBC application is available here.
Thank you to the resident who alerted our office, and all who joined our office in submitting comments and concerns about this proposed clearing of core koala habitat and spreading the word far and wide! We all await the Federal Minister for Environment’s decision regarding the application as it rightfully should be declared a ‘controlled action’ requiring further assessment under the Act, and meanwhile the Queensland Government is awaiting any such applications that may be sent to them for consideration.
Further Information
Even though this Federal process has closed for feedback, a reminder advocacy regarding can be directed to the Federal Minister for Environment via Minister.Plibersek@dcceew.gov.au.
Direct advocacy to the Queensland Minister for Environment can be directed to environment@ministerial.qld.gov.au.
Please remember to cc’ our office in on any emails via noosa@parliament.qld.gov.au as well forward any response you receive to us.
For our previous Noosa 360 updates relating to Kin Kin, please visit www.sandybolton.com/?s=Kin+Kin