Redlands Wildlife - HELP

[Glider]

hmmmm... just a devils advocate point of view, but isn't creating a walking path/cycleway through the bushland a way for council to be able to use the land for public space while still retaining the important habitat?

I don't know if they plan to bulldoze the lot and turn it into lawn, which would be terrible, but if they're just going to run a paved, lit path through it perhaps its a way for council to justify keeping the bushland. It could also be an opportunity to make the community more aware of the beauty and importance of the habitat. And to that fact in the future when council is considering further development, if it already contains some paid-for infrastructure thats valued by a lot of the community as a pleasant people place will make them think and longer before allocating it to housing development, and you will have plenty more people on your side to fight it should that idea become a real possibility.

Maybe instead of signing protests against it altogether it would be wiser to sign petitions to minimise damage to the habitat and offer to work with the council to help them use the land they have, while boosting community awareness of the habitat and preserving what is there. There are a lot of community awards for these types of projects, and councils love to be seen to be 'green' and getting media attention for the good things they're doing for their consitiuants. Use their motivators to get the best result you can.

 

[Jewly]

Signed and confirmed.

While I don't live in the Redlands area, I do work there and I would hate to see the destruction of native land just for the sake of a walkway/bikeway. I would think there are enough areas for people to walk or cycle in the Redlands area already and they should just leave what little remaining bushland there is alone.

Just on the graffiti issue that you raise on your website, I personally would rather see some decent artwork than a heap of scribble which a lot of the graffiti is. There is no way to stop the graffiti being done and the cost of removing it is huge and I'd rather council rates go towards something more productive. At least if the people doing the graffiti are given a place to be able to do it and they are able to take the time to do something half decent then they will take pride it in and not want to destroy it with mindless tags. I think it's a very good strategy myself.

 

[waruikazi]

I like... no love the idea of cycle/walkways through bushland. It will help everyone in your area to appreciate the local flora and fauna without bushbashing their way through it.

Not signed! Some greenies really need to have a more open mind.

Your arguments for stopping this walkway don't even have anything to do with conservation???

Evidence of this type of public access through covert bushland shows an increase in offences such as:

* Public & underage consumption of alcohol,
* Wilful damage & destruction, such as graffiti,
* Assaults against the person (The North Brisbane bike-way sexual offences are a prime example), &
* Break & enter and thefts.

http://www.redlandswildlife.com/WEST EPRAPAH.html

 

[mrmikk]

I like... no love the idea of cycle/walkways through bushland. It will help everyone in your area to appreciate the local flora and fauna without bushbashing their way through it.

Not signed! Some greenies really need to have a more open mind.

Your arguments for stopping this walkway don't even have anything to do with conservation???



http://www.redlandswildlife.com/WEST EPRAPAH.html

Each to their own.

I have raised a number of detrimental issues perceived if the walkway goes ahead, you have quoted me on but one. It is a fact, there simply needs to be wildlife habitat for wildlife, without human interaction or interference. We alredy have evidence in our area of what happens when bushland habitat is opened up like this.

Council don't destroy bushland refuges here in one felll swoop, it is done step-by-step in methodical manner. A couple of years ago, they decided it was easier to run an underground sewer line through the reserve and bulldozed countless melalueca trees in the process, now this, what next?

It would be nice to think, "It will help everyone in your area to appreciate the local flora and fauna without bushbashing their way through it." this will be the case but reality is a lot different.

We have more parkland, comprising treed areas, ocean front land and the like than bushland refuges, this isn't even asking council to strike what would be an acceptable balance, it is asking them to leave what little we have left, alone.

 

[mrmikk]

Thanks to everyone who has signed so far, it is greatly appreciated.

Page 25 of today's Brisbane Courier Mail shows exactly why we need to protect areas like this, without making them into transport corridors.

"A female koala and her joey have escaped death for a second time after being attacked by a gang of youths in the north Brisbane suburb of Kallangur last week.

Australian Wildlife Hospital staff said the mother and joey were hit by a car and hospitalised in February.

On Friday night the koala named Mary, and her offspring were again tken into care when a 15-strong ganag of youths aged between 20 and 25 pelted them with rocks and sticks.

A Hospital spokeswoman said a Kallangur resident, identified only as Glenn, was walking his dogs in Jim Akers Park when he saw he group harassing the koalas.

Hospital staff and volunteer wildlife rescuers Anika and Hnk Lehmann were called to save the stricken animals.

They also discovered the body of a second koala joey in a council bin. 'A resident said she'd seen the same gang kill a joey and throw it in the bin', Mrs Lehmann said.

An autopsy revealed that the dead joey weighed just 345g, suffered a broken right arm, crushed skull and a damaged eye.

Hospital staff said Mary and her joey Toyah were traumatised by the attack but suffered no life threatening injuries."

 

[redbellybite]

I agree with Waruikazi, if its just to put a walk way through the area ,you will get more people observing wildlife at its intended natures way of living....sometimes its better to compromise then fully object..your arguments are realistic to a point but all that activity that you opose can still happen wether there is a pathway put through it or not ......sick sad world we live in ........if its to totally bulldoze through bushland then I dont agree,and would like you to state exactly what the councils intentions are before i sign.....

 

[mrmikk]

... would like you to state exactly what the councils intentions are before i sign.....

I would like to know what council's exact intenions are too

 

[Dan19]

For some people, the confirmation email goes into the junk folder.

 

[i_LoVe_AnImAlS]

bump

 

[Danni]

yeh it does, in one case but not the other ...still havent received an email

For some people, the confirmation email goes into the junk folder.

 

[FNQ_Snake]

Done and done.

 

[croc_hunter_penny]

Any kind of disturbance in bushland can scare away animals, especially something like a pathway that would have a considerably high volume of traffic. The percentage of animals that would live within 10m-20m of that pathway would be greatly reduced in comparison to how many would live in that same area without the pathway.
Even if the council don't clear a single tree, and make the pathway between the existing trees, the impact on the surrounding area from laying the path down and from continued use, would not be worth it.

There are loads of places to go walking, I don't feel it necessary to disturb the wildlife refuges for a new walking track.

 

[redbellybite]

YES AGREED, but you also have to take into account ,if you dont have human interaction and basically get amongst the bushlife itself alot of people live in their own little world and the only time ever exposed to nature is on TV or a zoo.By building pathways and walkways where people can do as they do and be a part of nature while doing it ,you will in the end ,get better support as people learn to appreciate what they have when exposed to it ......if done correctly there is minimal effect on the wildlife and before any construction goes ahead ,they by law ,should be contacting parks and wildlife and get a spotter catcher out there for the wildlife ..........in the long run it works if done correctly........

 

[mrmikk]

YES AGREED, but you also have to take into account ,if you dont have human interaction and basically get amongst the bushlife itself alot of people live in their own little world and the only time ever exposed to nature is on TV or a zoo.By building pathways and walkways where people can do as they do and be a part of nature while doing it ,you will in the end ,get better support as people learn to appreciate what they have when exposed to it ......if done correctly there is minimal effect on the wildlife and before any construction goes ahead ,they by law ,should be contacting parks and wildlife and get a spotter catcher out there for the wildlife ..........in the long run it works if done correctly........

You make some very valid points Red Belly, but Redland City Council has shown in the past that they do not undertake these projects properly and we see the results here all too often.

For those of you who haven't received a confirmation e-mail, you need to make sure that you enter your e-mail address correctly, otherwise the server can't send your confirmation e-mail.

Thanks again to all those who have signed and thanks also to those willing to give alternative opinions, a healthy, informed debate is a good one and I don't expect everyone to agree or follow my line of thought on this.

 

[Nagraj]

Remnants of pristine undisturbed bushland are essential for the natural re-stocking of surrounding less pristine areas. Without these pockets the surrounding areas quickly become devoid of diversity and only species tolerant of human encroachment remain.

Read Flannery's The Future Eaters for further reference.

 

[DA_GRIZ]

i just signed it and will get my family and friends to sign it

 

[Miss_Croft]

Mrmikk – I personally cannot see how a walking/cycling path through a wildlife refuge will impact Koala, swamp and redneck wallabies, whipbirds and tusked frogs. I can see it opening up the bush land to people – this will allow the common Moreton Bay person to see some of the elusive wildlife (like some that you described.)

I also had a look at your site. You call yourself a conservation group – But you have done nothing for any animal or plant except complain about habitat destruction and what the council is doing. Some things you might like to consider:
·[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]Creating a community indigenous nursery to grow indigenous trees, grasses and other plant – you can sell some to raise money for the running of your group and plant out others in re-vegetation programs (Creation of NEW habitat)
·[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]Determining what food the local indigenous animals eat and make sure there is food around for the entire year
·[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]Creation of nesting boxes for the local wildlife
·[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]Turtles – You have said over 200 die due to human activities – why not investigate creating a turtle breeding program – where your group artificially incubates the eggs – raises the babies - and release them back into the bay. Last time I saw Turtles hatching – Most got taken by birds.

Stop complaining about what is happening and DO something for what you claim to stand up for.

 

[PeeGee]

signed and confirmed

 

[mrmikk]

Mrmikk – I personally cannot see how a walking/cycling path through a wildlife refuge will impact Koala, swamp and redneck wallabies, whipbirds and tusked frogs. I can see it opening up the bush land to people – this will allow the common Moreton Bay person to see some of the elusive wildlife (like some that you described.)

I also had a look at your site. You call yourself a conservation group – But you have done nothing for any animal or plant except complain about habitat destruction and what the council is doing. Some things you might like to consider:
·Creating a community indigenous nursery to grow indigenous trees, grasses and other plant – you can sell some to raise money for the running of your group and plant out others in re-vegetation programs (Creation of NEW habitat)
·Determining what food the local indigenous animals eat and make sure there is food around for the entire year
·Creation of nesting boxes for the local wildlife
·Turtles – You have said over 200 die due to human activities – why not investigate creating a turtle breeding program – where your group artificially incubates the eggs – raises the babies - and release them back into the bay. Last time I saw Turtles hatching – Most got taken by birds.

Stop complaining about what is happening and DO something for what you claim to stand up for.

Whoa!

Excuse me, I am only too happy to listen to the opinions of others and I am by no means trying to force my views on others, in fact I welcome alternative and diverse points of view.

But, when you tell me you have looked at my site and I do nothing, you obviously haven't looked at it very closely.

I have started and convene a local volunteer bushcare regeneration group, that is affiliated with my local council. Every second weekend, we as a group give up our time to remove rubbish, weeds and re-vegetate this very area of wildlife refuge I am referring to.

I have invested a lot of my own time and money to establish and maintain the Redlands Wildlife website as a source of information for the community to raise awareness of our local native fauna.

I just spent the entire weekend distributing information and talking to local residents, members of council and government on the very issue of the WEWR.

I have created feeding and nesting points for local fauna in my area.

I don't want or expect any praise for my efforts from anyone, it is enough to see local native wildlife enjoying their habitat, that is thanks enough. But when someone like yourself tells me,

"But you have done nothing for any animal or plant except complain about habitat destruction and what the council is doing".

That gets my back up!!!

 

[mrmikk]

Any kind of disturbance in bushland can scare away animals, especially something like a pathway that would have a considerably high volume of traffic. The percentage of animals that would live within 10m-20m of that pathway would be greatly reduced in comparison to how many would live in that same area without the pathway.
Even if the council don't clear a single tree, and make the pathway between the existing trees, the impact on the surrounding area from laying the path down and from continued use, would not be worth it.

There are loads of places to go walking, I don't feel it necessary to disturb the wildlife refuges for a new walking track.

Exactly right CHP.

Some animals thrive in co-habitation with humans, eg Ibis, pigeons, rainbow lorikeets. However most don't, our native fauna are mostly timid and do not interact well with humans, such as koalas, wallabies, whipbirds etc...