Give our Koalas a Fair Go

Ormiston College Expansion Plans Threaten High-Value Koala Habitat

Ormiston College is seeking to expand with new educational and administrative buildings, a boarding facility, aquatic centre with 50m pool, indoor sports courts with cricket facilities, and new junior sports fields with lighting.

Ormiston College has lodged a request directly with the State Government for a Ministerial Infrastructure Designation (MID), which streamlines approvals and offers developers benefits such as no right of appeal.

The development would require clearing over 650 mature koala habitat trees. Developers propose replanting trees, but critics highlight the long gap before regrowth supports koalas.

Consultants reported the site is only “occasionally” used by koalas, but the Koala Action Group disputes this, arguing the assessment undervalues the habitat’s importance.

Koala advocates are especially concerned about the junior sports oval, which would remove significant mature habitat.

Community Consultation: Public consultation is open until 5 September 2025. We have prepared this template for your ease of response. Please edit the template to incorporate your own views and messages - this adds to the impact of your response.

Your address is required by the Qld Government to validate your submission.

Ormiston College Expansion Plans Threaten High-Value Koala Habitat

Ormiston College is seeking to expand with new educational and administrative buildings, a boarding facility, aquatic centre with 50m pool, indoor sports courts with cricket facilities, and new junior sports fields with lighting.

Ormiston College has lodged a request directly with the State Government for a Ministerial Infrastructure Designation (MID), which streamlines approvals and offers developers benefits such as no right of appeal.

The development would require clearing over 650 mature koala habitat trees. Developers propose replanting trees, but critics highlight the long gap before regrowth supports koalas.

Consultants reported the site is only “occasionally” used by koalas, but the Koala Action Group disputes this, arguing the assessment undervalues the habitat’s importance.

Koala advocates are especially concerned about the junior sports oval, which would remove significant mature habitat.

Community Consultation: Public consultation is open until 5 September 2025. We have prepared this template for your ease of response. Please edit the template to incorporate your own views and messages - this adds to the impact of your response.

Your address is required by the Qld Government to validate your submission.

Submission re Ormiston College habitat.

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Dear Sir/Madam,

I write to express urgent opposition to the Ministerial Infrastructure Designation (MID) allowing Ormiston College’s expansion, which threatens to clear over 650 mature trees in a core koala habitat zone. This area is of high ecological value, confirmed by  State mapping.  Ormiston is a part of Redland City Council’s Koala Safe Neighbourhood program, a collaboration between Redland City Council and the local community to reduce the threats to our local urban koala population , and involving detailed population monitoring and behavioural studies.  The habitat at risk sits within this area.
The proposed offset of 526 small plants is effectively useless. Mature habitat trees take decades to provide the same ecological function, and koalas cannot survive long enough to benefit from seedlings planted today.
The use of a MID  sets a dangerous precedent by bypassing council planning and community consultation processes.  Its use in this instance potentially damages the wide community support the College has enjoyed.  
It is a fact that the root cause of koala deaths is loss of habitat.  These trees provide essential food, shelter, and movement corridors for koalas. Their removal will fragment habitat, reduce food sources, and increase risks to this already endangered species.
I urge the State Government to reconsider this MID and protect the irreplaceable koala habitat in Ormiston.

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