The Property Investment Market and Residential Development Opportunities, on the Tweed Coast of NE NSW,  rely largely on the following 3 things:- 1) destruction of Threatened Native Wildlife Habitat, 2) Wetland Destruction and 3) increased lack of safeguarding for  Sustainable Social Wellbeing within the Tweed Shire Council area.

This is an historically SHAMEFUL situation. The shame is continuing, and soon, more shame will be forthcoming. Not all property investment is shameful. Property investment, when combined with AUTHENTIC ecologically sustainable principles, a good heart, and reasonable duty of care to the future populations of the Tweed Shire – property investment based on these authentic principles, can go a long way to heal the destruction that has been rampant on the Tweed Coast for well over 50 years.

WHAT COSTS?

Looking for Investment Property? Do NOT look at a place such as the Kings Forest, Kingscliff development. This Development is pointing to ecological and financial failure:-  expensive outlays that may not be recuped over time, unless further, costly investment is created to rectify the ecological damage that has, is and continues to occur. The profit margins attached to such a development are highly DUBIOUS. The historical evidence points to an extremely poorly managed property, with dubious legal frameworks and processes involved.

“THE ROLE OF REGULATION IN FACILITATING OR CONSTRAINING ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE FOR AUSTRALIAN INFRASTRUCTURE” – a report by Maddocks ( ISBN 978-1-922003-03-4) to the Federal Government Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency. This report outlines scenarios of regulatory concern, with regard to the impacts of climate change and extreme weather events in Australia. The coastline of eastern Australia, and the development and infrastructure occurring there, has plausible chances of incurring extreme weather events, such as storm surge and related groundwater alteration, water security issues and threatened species survival consequences. The issues surrounding infrastructures and development along the coast may involve scenarios of  higher level sea changes than previously thought. This may occur in the lifetime of our children.

Infrastructure and urban structural maintenance and repair, populations’ wellbeing during extreme weather and climate events, ability to rehabilitate disturbed ecological communities, wetlands,  rehabilitation of poorly managed forestry and grazing lands, increased competition from weeds on natural vegetation remnant communities that have been disturbed…. this list is incomplete. I could add many more scenarios to this list, as  examples of what type of future costs and maintenance, social issues may occur, concerning poorly implemented Wetland coastal developments. The impacts on Acid Sulfate Soils, and surrounding wetlands, creeks, lakes and estuarine areas along the Tweed coastline, as the sea levels rise ( and on other land fill locations) – what are the short term and long term consequences here? What are the impacts for the waterways and their sustainable management, and how do the costs of management become allocated? Will it be the property owners who will bear the costs? The rate payers?

Threatened Species, beautiful wildlife habitats, endangered Ecological communities, ecologically sustainable development and SAFEGUARDING for SOCIAL HEALTH and WELLBEING – none of these things are being cared for , by certain regional public and non-local, evasive,  ignorant yet powerful entities active in the Tweed Coast Council area.

Living with Climate Change - Climate Change Adaption and Impact Fact Sheets for Australia at the National Climate Change Adaption Research Facility. Here you will find reference to Wetland Destruction being counter productive to surviving climate change.

Adaption Research Network (NCCARF) – Terrestrial Biodiversity. Here you will find a link to the KOALA CASE STUDY. Koalas are threatened in NSW. The biggest threats to Koalas are habitat fragmentation (habitat clearing), dogs, cars and disease. Koalas are considered to be highly vulnerable to climate changes, as predicted by current scientifically modelled scenarios. Inappropriate and non ecologically sustainable development of coastal wetlands not only threatens many native wildlife species (such as the Koala), but listed threatened species run the risk of completely disappearing.

The environmental costs of such species disappearing are hard to put into monetary terms, regarding the future wellbeing of human populations on earth.  Loss of Biodiversity is the most critical issue facing Australians and the world, right now.

Developments such as those occurring in the Coastal Wetlands of the Tweed Coast have incredible costs associated with them, that are not fully accounted for, by mere monetary balance sheets. To invest in wetland habitat destruction is to invest in loss of BIODIVERSITY. Pretty stupid, eh what?

Better to invest in coastal wetland restoration, coastal habitat retention, linking of fragmented coastal wildlife habitats, minimising coastal (ASS) wetland soil disturbance and maximising coastal/marine zone conservation. better to invest in wise democratically elected representatives who want to support biodiversity, rather than those who seek to sanction its destruction.

Better to invest in areas where urbanisation has already occurred, but requires enhancement and rejuvenation/restoration.  Better to invest in areas where the development has already occurred, and is being brought up to date with sound ecologically sustainable rejuvenation.

The cost to volunteers – the valuable community volunteers and spokespersons for the voiceless native wildlife of the disappearing and destroyed Coastal Wetland Habitats is immense, as they seek to find a way to halt the ongoing Wetland Habitat Destruction along the Coastal Zone of the Tweed Shire. This cost must also be put into monetary values, and if it was… well, what would it be???? Community Volunteers are considered a valuable resource to the Northern Rivers Region, as outlined in the Northern Rivers regional Plan 2011 – Vision to 2020.  Volunteers and and Biodiversity = 2 important priorities for the Regional Vision of the Northern Rivers.

And so, I ask you…. WHAT COST, regarding the  Wetland Habitat Destruction as it relates to the  associated time, money and effort spent by volunteers organisations and their committees and individuals, does Non Ecologically Sustainable Development bring to the Tweed Coast Community? WHAT COST, regarding the loss of biodiversity from WETLAND HABITAT DESTRUCTION, as it relates to non ecologically sustainable land use management practices? This is something that investors, in Australia’s future, investors in the TWEED COAST should be asking themselves, and others.

This is a question you should be asking yourself, dearest reader!!

see “Rally calls for Koala Protection” article Tweed Shire Echo 15th December 2011

Who is destroying koalas on the Tweed coast?

see the Australasian Legal Institute databases for the Supreme Court of NSW : William Robert Ell v Katie Milne [2011] NSWSC 645 (27 June 2011)

see the article in the Tweed Shire Echo 21st December 2011 “Leda implicated in illegal clearing”

Short poem honoring Trees

“Dodgy Dossiers on Demand”, an editorial at Tweed Shire Echo (3rd November 2011). see Freedom of Information Act 1989 at the NSW Government Legislation Website

The Australian Government’s “Australian Institute of Criminology” website has some useful INFORMATION on illegal native vegetation clearing.  Environmental crime in Australia “Research and public policy series no. 109″, by Samantha Bricknell (ISBN 978 1 921532 64  1  ISSN 1836-2079)  Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology, October 2010 . This publication is available at the AIC’s website.

Adam Gosling’s full paper presentation at the Healthy wetlands 20th NSW Coastal conference 2011 stated ”Australia is reported to have lost between 75 and 90 percent of coastal wetlands over the past 200 years (Finlayson, 2000. Usback & James 1993). Not only have wetlands been decimated historically through land clearing for agriculture and urban development and drained or isolated from adjoining wetlands, they remain one of the most severely threatened ecosystems in eastern Australia through coastal development and land use.“

The following Questions:-

What is Habitat Destruction? What is Wetland Destruction? What is Degrading Development? And, above all, what is Ecologically Sustainable Development?  These questions need to be asked by the NSW and Australian Government Departments assessing ALL development on the Tweed Coast.

WHO SHOULD HAVE CONCERNS?

A MORATORIUM and INQUIRY concerning THE KINGS FOREST, KINGSCLIFF investment property development should be created IMMEDIATELY, by all levels of government, as well as by independent Judicial, AUTHENTIC Scientists’ and ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES BODIES.

I refer you to the 2002  Keynote address for the  6th International acid Sulfate Soils Conference, by  Professor Bruce Thom, who was  Chair Coastal Council of NSW. The article is entitled ” Environmental History and Decision Making”. Professor Bruce Thom is a remarkable Australian, and a member of the WENTWORTH GROUP OF CONCERNED SCIENTISTS .

• “Very little research has been undertaken on processes, impacts, and consequences of environmental change resulting from human activities in coastal eastern Australia.” & ”many problems remain in resolving management difficulties because of conflicts in land and water use arising from population growth, persistence of often fragmented administrative structures, case law, divergent community aspirations, economic greed and environmental ignorance.”

in the white room

Whilst I make reference, in this article, to the LEDA (Bob Ell’s development group) KINGS FOREST, Kingscliff investment properties, this article encompasses much more than the LEDA Groups’ Project 28. The entire Coastal Wetlands of the Tweed Coast have virtually been destroyed by

• 1) the individuals who have lobbied for, granted permission for and voted for such developments and infrastructures –  in all levels of government,
• 2) the Private Investment Property Industries of Australia (and their overseas connections),  and
• 3) every single ignorant person who has invested in, continued to gain profit from and supported the degradation of (the properties) and then continued to further misuse and degrade the property that they have invested in.

Some Where’s and Why’s………?

The misuse of  PLANNING INSTRUMENTS, Ecologically Sustainable Development Principles, Policies and Political Lobbying Arenas (concerning NSW Legislations, hidden, backroom deals and agendas, ignorance and greed of a number of wealthy “players”) should be dealt with by an INDEPENDENT INQUIRY .

Part 3a – at EDO website

EDO Fact Sheet 5.5 Coastal Protection:- here you will find references to SEPP 14, SEPP 44 and SEPP 26

Ecologically Sustainable Development – at Australian Government Environment home (currently called the Australian Government Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities). See the current (December 2011) Australian Federal Government cabinet members, and their portfolios:- HERE.

Some  WHO’S?

Here are some recent links to look at concerning the highly destructive planning agendas and property investment ignorance of the Tweed Coast “PLAYERS” and legislative protections.

• State Environmental Planning Policy (Major Development) 2005 (2005-194) Formerly known as :-  State Environmental Planning Policy (Major Projects) 2005 and State Environmental Planning Policy (State Significant Sites) 2005.
• Map Index for schedule 3:- Kings Forest Site Land Application Map (SEPP_MD_KIF_LAP_001_20100115) & Kings Forest Site Land Zoning Map (SEPP_MD_KIF_LZN_001_20100201) – this link will give you a couple of the MAPS of KINGS FOREST as per Application and Zoning
• TWEED SHIRE COUNCIL and Tweed Shire Councillors
• Kings Forest Stage 1 Project Application for subdivision to create new lots for future development, entrance road and associated intersection works (Tweed Coast Road), subdivision and infrastructure works for Urban Development (Stage 1), BULK EARTHWORKS and plantings for the Kings Forest GOLF COURSE which is proposed for the future, within the Kings Forest Development, as well as a service atation and fast food outlets.

***The Kings Forest Stage 1 project application for subdivision is on public exhibition from 22 November 2011 to 23 December 2011. The Department will be accepting submissions up to and including 25 January 2012.

Write to the Premier and Ministers of the NSW Government to INSIST that the KINGS FOREST submissions for this ***latest stage, be extended, due to the many concerns of scientists, locals and wildlife carers regarding this highly inappropriate development

There has already been ASSESSMENTS against this Part 3A Kings Forest Development:- Residential community concept Plan (Part 3a) and modification to the Concept Plan for Kings Forest. See NSW Department of Planning State Significant Sites – Kings Forest, Tweed Shire.

• There are at least 21 THREATENED SPECIES that have, and will continue to  lose critical habitat, via this ongoing SHAME that is the PART 3a State Significant Site. All about the Tweed Coast, the native wildlife, habitas, ecosystems and ecological units are disappearing at an alarming rate.  Small parcels of land cleared, fragmented, drained, bulldozed, overlaid with costly, non ecologically sustainable infrastructures are far outweighing any OFFSETS, TRADES and Development LANDSCAPE  TREE PLANTINGS that do not involve comprehensive Vegetation Community ENHANCEMENT using Scientific and local KNOWLEDGE.
• CALDERA ENVIRONMENT CENTRE :- while you are there, why not offer them some support!!!
• Development project threatens second largest koala colony in tweed shire  - The last stand for Tweed Coast KOALAS – our local heritage and icon at stake - article at Candobetter.net (21st February, 2009 – by Menkit Prince)
• coastalconference.com :- 20th anniversary NSW Coastal conference (8-11th November, 2011)
• ECOSYSTEM LINKS – including wetland links and Acid Sulfate Soils links
• ADVOCACY LINKS : – bluecray.org’s Environmental Advocacy LINKS PAGE for the MT WARNING CALDERA REGION of NE NSW and SE QLD.
• “Illegal clearing Cudgen Nature Reserve - a balance of faeries revisited” article at bluecray.org

We hear about these dreadful things that are happening in our world  – fires, floods,  droughts,  earthquakes,  war,   oil / gas disasters, species extinction, habitat loss,  increasing pollutions and nuclear threat, but often, we are so busy in our own little world, that all these things seem far away from the safety of our homes here.  Living safely in our homes, we also forget that there are many homeless families and individuals in Australia.

Homeless Persons’ Legal Service .

youhaveafriend.org.au – sign the petition here to help the Tweed get a drop in centre for homeless people. The Tweed district has the highest per capita homeless rate in NSW, Australia. “homeless forced to camp on the street” article in Tweed Shire Echo 7th October 2010

The ACE Study – “Bridging the gap between childhood trauma and negative consequences later in life” Adverse Childhood Experiences Study & Score

Public Interest Advocacy Centre :- “The Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) is an independent, non-profit law and policy organisation that works for a fair, just and democratic society, empowering citizens, consumers and communities by taking strategic action on public interest issues. “

Below is a poem about a mother and her young son. In the poem, the mother is looking after her son with love and care, teaching him all she knows…..but harsh circumstances prevail  upon her and and, uprooted from her home, she endeavours to find a new place to live with her son….

I will protect you and teach you……..

(an environmental advocacy  poem )

“For you, little young one, as you sleep with your dreams
cradled in arms of protection, it seems
that your future on earth faces heat, drought and less
than the past futures made by “them” leaving this mess.”

“I cry for your children, your hopes dreams and cares
As mysterious moneymen count ill gotten fares.
The userers wallow in time stole from you
Masked wasters of life , toxic moneys accrued.”

“You stir as  the night owl glides from its tree
And the howling of dogs surrounds you and me
My arms close  about you, ancestral strength
I’ll protect you and feed you,  I’ll teach you at length”

“Now waken my dear one, the night closes in
And it’s time that we moved through this forest -so thin
We’ll find a tall tree where the shelter is safe
To keep us till morn – ”

They moved on in good faith.

Following tracks, the mother  showed son
what she’d learnt and had followed when she had been young
But tracks, trees and wetlands – were now tarred concrete
It went on for miles,  it hurt their bare feet.

“For you, my dear young one, hold fast on my back
I promised to lead you, but I’ve lost my old track
The morning approaches, dogs bark -  so near
My darling – please waken – I smell a great fear”

The mother and child then ran for their lives
straddling a fence and cut by the wires.
The fierce dogs chased them and hounded them hard
as a tall tree loomed up – unfenced in its yard

Scrambling treeward  they climbed, then looked down
three dogs barked out loudly with dark dogged frown
Up in the tree, confused,  bleary eyed
Mother cradled her child -  with full strength of the wild.

.  … ….    ….   .   ….    …. …  .

It was a crisp winter’s morning……..a young child woke up and looked out of her window.

(She had woken suddenly from a nightmare, where, as she played in a faery glade,  large fierce dogs came to attack her.  In her dream, she had run into a tall building where smiling business suited men , dripping with oil and tar, offered her suitcases filled with plastic money . )

The young child cried out to her mother,  “Oh Mother – look see – a Koala is in our tree!! Oh, Mama, I think it has a baby with it!!!”

Concreting the Coastal 2003 : Clearing and Development Pressures on the NSW Coast 2003 Total Environment Centre PDF – this compiled resource by the TOTAL ENVIRONMENT CENTRE show problematic development, land clearing activity, approvals and proposals in coastal nsw 2002 -2003. It looks at the larger, more controversial, uncompleted developments at that time – (not the smaller, under the radar ones, nor the already completed ones). This is an excellent recent historic resource.

“I will Jail you and Feed you” – Balance of Faeries article at bluecray.wordpress.com – includes links to help you understand SEPP’s for NSW Koala Plan of Management.

Clearing the habit of Habitat Clearing .

“Koala warning ignored in assessment” article at Tweed Shire Echo 30th September 2010 which states:- “A draft habitat study which warned about the plight of the Tweed’s dwindling koala population had been kept secret by Tweed Council while the state government assessed the controversial township of Kings Forest which it recently approved”

SEPP 44 koala plan of management – search results bluecray environmental search

State Environmental Planning Policy 44 - Koala Plan of Management – NSW  Consolidated Regulations

Below is some Koala Legislation, policy, koala advocacy, habitat management information for NE NSW and SE QLD, Australia:-

(not exhaustive, but includes links to some current (2010)  ways in which the governments of Australia steer people and their industries  to save the Koala on the east coast of Australia from increasingly localised Extinction -  habitat clearing and koala corridor destruction-  death and illness.)

• Spatiotemporal dynamics of habitat use by koalas: the checkerboard model .   William A.H. Ellis, Alistair Melzer, Fred B. Berkovitch  Behavioural Ecology and Sociobiology Volume 63, number 8,1181-1188, DOI: 10.1007/s00265-009-0761-2.           find at http://cat.inist.fr/ or   SpringerLink .  Published online 31st March 2009 – the keywords are :-  foraging strategies , koalas , phascolarctos, resource use, spatial ecology, home range.

• Bluecray now has a number of Koala Articles and LINKS to Koala info, and so searching the KEYWORDS and using the Bluecray Environmental Search Engine may turn up more info to help you understand.

joint submission prepared by the North Coast Environment Council and the NSW Nature Conservation Council:- Re: Phascolarctos cinereus (Koala) – Assessment of Koala’s eligibility for listing as a threatened species under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999

Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) EPBC Act nomination to list as a threatened species , ( link disappeared!.. like the Koala?)  at Australian Government Department of  the Environment, Water, Heritage & the Arts.  FIND  the KOALA info the Australian Government makes available…..

by searching for KOALA listings  at the Australian Government Department of  the Environment, Water, Heritage & the Arts.

• Threatened Species Scientific Committee assessment of the koala – Australian Environment Minister Peter Garrett Interview with Annie Gaffney ABC Sunshine and Cooloola Coasts         25 May 2010

NCC of NSW = Nature Conservation Council of NSW – their Assessment of Koala’s eligibility for listing as a threatened species under EPBC Act 16th June 2010

KOALA at Qld Government Department of Environment and Resource Management .

KOALA Response Strategy at Qld Government Department of Environment and Resource Management – this link has the following information, mostly  in PDF format :-

• South East Queensland Koala Conservation State Planning Regulatory Provision

• State Planning Policy 2/10: Koala Conservation in South East Queensland

• Offsets for Net Gain of Koala Habitat in South East Queensland Policy

There is also the following information:-

• The  State Government Supported Community Infrastructure Koala Conservation Policy .
• Koala Habitat Mapping .  This section deals with the 2009 SEQ Koala Habitat Values Assessment map & the GHD Report: SEQ Koala Habitat Assessment and Mapping Project .
• Koala Habitat Programs :- This Koala Habitat Program is focusing on the Koala Nature Refuges Program.

I am not sure as to what “on the ground IMMEDIATE SOLUTIONS ” to the plight of the Koala all these initiatives are creating.

The information about koala habitats and the capacity to create useful extension tools and outreach programs for KOALA GUARDIANS and koala future wellbeing has been about for decades. Whilst new techniques, scientific studies and all typesof “credentialled experts” and authentic Koala HABITAT guardians have contributed to this “new approach” from the Qld Government, the fact remains that Koalas are and HAVE disappeared from many KOALA HABITAT areas in SE QLD and NE NSW. KOALAS are, right NOW, and in the near forseeable future, GREATLY AT RISK

The above poem about habitat destruction and its consequences on wildlife mothers and their young shows us that the education of young wildlife by their parents can be very stressful in a constantly changing environment. This is especially so when the native fauna habitat is destroyed or altered dramatically. Non environmentally sustainable development and its related infrastructure nightmare in SE QLD and NE NSW are two of the many factors destroying habitat for native Australian wildlife.

BIODIVERSITY LINKS : -  some useful  links for Biodiversity, Flora, Fauna, Koalas, Ecology and Catchment Management  (NE NSW and SE QLD – Mt Warning Caldera Region)

Animal Law Centre :- nice animal advocacy site – giving an overview of Animal Law in Australia – references and links to Australian and State legislation. Includes animal law and the Australian Constitution, enforcements and threatened species laws in Australian States

KOALA SCHOOL

Biodiversity Certification :  enabling ” local government in areas with high development pressure to provide for the protection of biodiversity, including threatened species at the strategic planning stage. These are likely to be mainly urban and coastal areas.

Certification can switch off the need for threatened species assessment under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979, providing more certainty for local government, development applicants and other stakeholders. Biodiversity must be improved or maintained for certification to be conferred. ” from environment.nsw.gov.au  – biodiversity certification”

More plans, more paperwork, more “expert opinion” and re-hashing of studies, more re-arrangements of habitats and ecosystems to justify heavy machinery handling and toxic lifestyles???? hard to say, but more than likely it is going to be the same as it always is……. better to focus on education of our young in environmentally friendly ways of living… then, instead of  regulations, paperworks, endless time and money spent on professional “spin”, people may just end up walking gently with the earth….

PLANNING GUIDELINES FOR KOALA CONSERVATION AND RECOVERY – C McAlpine – 2007:- search results bluecray environmental search engine

Advocacy for Animals at Encyclopaedia Britannica and Kangaroo Culling .

Wildife – Native Australian Wildlife Advocacy at (We)  can do better .

Meanwhile, at Kingscliff,NE NSW:-  large developments (that will further fragment our native wildlife habitats) are planned nearby (Kings Forest, Cobaki Lakes ) and the sea is moving inwards – “Hungry Mother Nature bares her teeth” -  infrastructure damage at Kingscliff on the NSW North Coast -  by coastal erosion (2010): SMH article by Saffron Howden

Kingscliff battles beach erosion (story 11th august 2010):- at ABC local + other local beach coastal erosion stories from NE NSW (Tweed and Byron shires)

the above environmental advocacy images by al at bluecray

Tread lightly, honour the earth – it is the only home we have.

..                             and now,

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Human Contraptions: Episode Guide - “Academy Award-winning animator and political cartoonist Bruce Petty takes us on an anarchic journey for five minutes each” topic.

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His search and their saga – ever so long,  told PK quite clearly that something was wrong!
For months on end, that stretched to years, calling through fences with their tears

Across that void – that fierce road,
the trucks, the cars – their rushing load.

But now the best bit will unfold
As Pk’s stories now are told

One early evening waiting near the talking tree for his mother dear, he heard the wrens and bush birds say that to get to the coast there WAS a way
It was very long, and took some skill, and involved a risk of getting killed
Pk ask more from his flying friends, and they told him of roads that had no ends
However if game, they said that PK could travel those roads for part of the way

“Stick to the edges, and watch for the lights they’ll freeze you and fix you and BOY those cars bite”
“So stay in the shadows, and travel with stealth and you’ll get to a place which is full of ill health -
the drained swamps of coastlands” – the refugees called, but take take care of  dogs so that you won’t be mauled

God speed you PK, called the Birds of the Land, as he started his journey with their helping hand.

Familiar with Mooball and Cudgerra Creek, his crossing of this place took more than a week.
Then suddenly there he was ,over THAT ROAD – that huge roaring thoroughfare with it’s faceless load.

Now where to begin to start tracking his Mum? Her scent was not there on the road he had come,
so sniffing the breeze in the quiet morning light, he touched on a memory ever so slight.
The “feel” of his mother! It came from these trees- she’d been here before, but it had been some years.

The urge to continue, to follow his nose – led him to a high fence and again more loud roads.

Yet our hero undaunted, his mother he’d find -  then suddenly Pk saw one of his kind……..

A cousin – a cousin! There in the tree – he called out “KOALA! it’s PK!…. it’s ME!!”
The cousin’s eye’s opened   his nose sniffed PK.   Then he slowly pointed north,    saying     “that is the way”.

Now trembling with fatigues of his open road walk, our darling PK said “so sorry- can’t talk”. For gone were those days of the safe bushland life, now the people of Tweed were  giving them strife.
The human machines screamed and roared all the day, the constant truck noise – the people – the fray.
Bravely PK lumbered slowly along, to the east and the north where it felt very wrong.

Something was happening that made PK sick – he’d felt it before, it was like a bad trick.
And there – in the distance, from a tall tree he spied, the lay of King’s Forest. Was it there he could hide?

For all about PK, was nothing but bare – all cleared and flat land and the trees were nowhere! There were fences and houses, and small shrubs and trees, but the way to the forest was filled with disease.

The waters were putrid, the sparse old trees ill. Yet PK kept going, with his strong free will
He “knew” that his Mother would be near this place – this great fading Forest – ( Tweed Coast’s disgrace)
Past cypress and tea tree, our little friend ran, then though a sharp fence and across the bare land

And suddenly there he was facing his MUM! She cried out PK – you really have come!

OH reader, now listen of PK’s delight! To find his dear mother at last – what a sight!

Full adventure was over, he could rest .. he could talk. Then he told his Mama about his “LONG WALK”,

so proud of her son and his clever repose – big roads and big fences- do more than we suppose.

*******************************************************************

The above Poem, about Phantom Koala and how he finds his mother and becomes a Hero, reminds us that Koalas  are at very high risk here, on the NE Coast of NSW.

The actions and work by the Australian Government has done nothing to save the plight of the Coastal Koala, here in SE QLD and NE NSW. Koala population Numbers are dropping dramatically, and the same habitat destroying development is continuing at an alarming pace, all along the coast.

However: THERE IS A WAY!!!

Download some KOALA info here:- from the EPA, QLD.

“Koala (Phascolartos cinereus) survey and habitat assessment of Lot 4 on RP 35335 Doolong South Rd, Wondunna, Hervey Bay, Queensland / conducted for the Hervey Bay City Council” -  by ddwfauna August 2005,  is a good start….

” When Phantom Koala was Young -  A Koala Saga “ : my wordpress version of the first PK poem at Balance of Faeries blog.

“A Balance of Faeries” 1989 by al at bluecray – a story about koala habitat destruction – little by little – and the consequences

Kings Forest at articles Balance of Faeries blog and more links

Wisdom in the Land blog has Koala Planning Dreaming : a simple guideline for developing land, hand in hand with nature

Kings Forest : articles at bluecray.org and more links

***And, for inspiration……Some beautiful Koala ART WORK and a poem “Winter Koala” by Carol McCormack

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