I am very pleased and grateful that Noosa Council is developing a Koala Policy for Noosa.

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1 Dear Noosa Council I am very pleased and grateful that Noosa Council is developing a Koala Policy for Noosa. I would like to assist in the development of the policy by providing copies of my communications with the Queensland Government, Noosa Council and the Australian Koala Foundation, as input (see attachments plus 3 photos taken of koalas in Heritage Park, Noosa Parklands). I believe that the correspondence is just as important today as at the time that they were written. Letter, 29 August 2008, to the then Environment Minister, in the Bligh Labor Government, the Hon Andrew McNamara re protecting koalas in wildlife corridors that run through urban areas At that time, it had just been announced that the Government was creating new laws to protect South-East Queensland s Koala population, particularly in wildlife corridors that run through urban areas No response was received to Mayor Playford, Noosa Council, 25 February 2014, and his response, re the need for a Koala-Protection Plan within Heritage Park, Tewantin, after the sighting of Koalas there Prompt response received to Australian Koala Foundation, 19 March 2014 re Koala Protection Plan/Heritage Park, Tewantin and my preparing and submitting/suggesting a draft koala plan to Noosa Council, based on relative sections from Ballarat City Council s Comprehensive Koala Plan of Management No response was received I wish you all the best in the development of a Koala Policy for Noosa and would like my submission to be totally anonymous. Regards

2 Hon Andrew McNamara Minister for Sustainability, Climate Change and Innovation PO Box 15155, City East QLD August 2008 Dear Mr McNamara Request that the proposed, new laws to protect South-East Queensland s vanishing koala population would ensure that HERITAGE PARK, TEWANTIN, or any part of it, never be designated as an off-leash, dog-exercise area I am grateful that new laws are proposed to protect South-East Queensland s vanishing koala population, in wildlife corridors that run through urban areas. Heritage Park, Tewantin is situated in an urban environment, but covers an area of 20 hectares (see enclosed map OM9.1, Tewantin & Doonan Biodiversity Overlay). Also, it is: A Koala Living Area in a Koala Habitat Area See enclosed map, Schedule 7, Koala Habitat Areas of proposed, second-round amendments to the Noosa Plan. The Koala Living Area appears in faint yellow, through Heritage Park A significant wildlife corridor running from Tewantin Forest Reserve (future National Park) through Heritage Park to part of the Great Sandy National Park and the Noosa River (see enclosed map OM9.1, Tewantin & Doonan Biodiversity Overlay) Zoned Open Space Conservation According to Sunshine Coast Regional Council, the intent of this zoning is to sustain natural environment values of high order and they are protected for importance to ecological sustainability including provision of habitat and open space linkages Despite these facts, the previous Noosa Council, now Sunshine Coast Regional Council, permitted the exercising of unleashed dogs for a trial period of twelve months, in a large, central area within Heritage Park, expiring 12 October 2008 approximately. Many of the residents, including myself, of the area surrounding Heritage Park (Noosa Parklands), and particularly the hardworking Bushland Care Group volunteers, want to help make koalas safe and to increase their population in Heritage Park. Therefore, I request, and would greatly appreciate, your assistance in ensuring that the proposed, new laws protecting koalas, particularly from dogs, would apply to Heritage Park, Tewantin, thereby ensuring that this park, or any part of it, is never designated as an off-leash, dog-exercise area. Yours faithfully

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5 Dear Australian Koala Foundation My name is Fay Bagnato, and I am a resident of Tewantin, near Heritage Park, on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland. Heritage Park (20 ha) is a Koala habitat and is also a wildlife corridor running off the Tewantin National Park (formerly, Tewantin State Forest). See attachments. Nearby residents recently have observed two Koalas tentatively moving into the outskirts of Heritage Park. Based on these sightings, I have written to the Mayor of Noosa Council, Noel Playford, suggesting that Noosa Council consider creating and implementing a Koala Protection Plan for Heritage Park, Tewantin, to encourage Koalas to visit and reside there. See attached a pdf copy of my letter to Mayor Playford and his response. Heritage Park is not small', as Mayor Playford said, but 20 ha in size. Given that Mayor Playford stated that he had no idea what s required, I would like to submit to him a basic, example, draft plan based on relative sections from Ballarat City Council s Comprehensive Koala Plan of Management (see link below), including that Heritage Park be assessed by koala experts in the creation of such a plan. %20of%20management%20part%201% pdf As Ballarat City Council worked closely with the Australian Koala Foundation in the creation of its plan, I am writing to enquire as to whether you would be interested in helping me in the preparation of my submission, and, if the opportunity arose, in due course, if you would be interested in working on that, or any other, plan with Noosa Council.

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