TREE LAWS PASS - IT’S A WIN FOR KOALAS, WILDLIFE & THE REEF

WWF-Australia today thanked supporters and congratulated the Queensland government after Parliament passed laws to stop excessive tree-clearing in the sunshine state.

“It’s a win for koalas, wildlife and the Great Barrier Reef,” said WWF-Australia conservation director Paul Toni.

“This is one of the most significant conservation victories in Australia in recent years and WWF’s supporters helped to secure this result,” he said.

WWF’s “KIMBY” petition mobilised more than 63,000 people concerned over the rising tide of destruction of wildlife habitat in Queensland.

Supporters sent a virtual origami koala, called a KIMBY, and a personal message to key Queensland politicians to let them know they wanted to see Koalas In My Backyard.

WWF-Australia brought together a team of eminent scientists who estimated that bushland destruction in 2015-16 alone killed 45 million animals (1.1 million mammals, 3.7 million birds and 39.9 million reptiles). 

WWF-Australia teamed up with RSPCA Queensland to reveal that tree-clearing was causing the single greatest animal welfare crisis in the state because of the sheer magnitude of wildlife suffering and death caused by the runaway bulldozing of their habitats.

With much of the clearing occurring in Reef catchments, scientists warned that increased sediment pollution of the water and carbon pollution of the atmosphere from tree clearing was harming the Great Barrier Reef.

“Tree-clearing is out of control and the impacts on wildlife, habitats and the Reef are unacceptable,” Mr Toni said.

WWF-Australia media contact:

Mark Symons, WWF-Australia Senior Media Officer, 0400 985 571