Latest news with #wildliferangers
ABC News
3 days ago
- General
- ABC News
Queensland government commits more land to national parks, but still a long way short of target
The Queensland government will expand protected areas for the state's endangered species and "get serious" about managing the land with more rangers, Premier David Crisafulli has announced. About 8,700 hectares will be added to national park conservation areas, with about a quarter set aside for new nature refuges on private land under deals with landholders. While Mr Crisafulli conceded the numbers announced on Sunday were small — Queensland covers 172 million hectares — he said it was a start. "If we can increase that threshold of protected areas, it sends a strong message about how much we value the environment," he said. The Queensland government has set an "ambitious" target to protect more areas at a greater rate in one term than the previous government did in the past 10 years. Mr Crisafulli said the plan would include hiring 150 more wildlife rangers and committing more funding to groups that manage their resources. The announcement comes just days after environmentalists blasted the government's decision to open tenders for nine new areas of gas exploration. Queensland Conservation Council director Dave Copeman called that decision "devastating and deceitful" and said it covered a much larger area than the total amount of protected land. About 8.59 per cent of the state — a total of 14.55 million hectares — is protected, a long way short of the government's target. "The Queensland government's protected areas strategy says we need to get to 17 per cent," Mr Copeman said. "We can't get there if we keep granting exploration permits for mining leases and gas over all of Queensland." Asked how the government's new gas exploration sat with its land protection strategy, Mr Crisafulli said it was "about balance". "Gas is going to become a really important part of our energy mix as part of the transition to a more renewable future," he said. He added that gas exploration would only be allowed in areas where there is "minimal environmental impact." Mr Crisafulli and Environment Minister Andrew Powell made their announcement at the Daisy Hill Koala Centre, south of Brisbane. Koalas are endangered in Queensland, New South Wales and the ACT, where threats to them include habitat loss, disease, car strikes and dog attacks. "We've got some major populations of koalas that are in real threat if we don't do something," Mr Crisafulli said. The 18 new nature refuges include several that seek to protect koala habitat, partly by forming corridors to larger national parks. They include 184.3 hectares of land at Quad's Nature Refuge in Mackay and the new 21.4 hectare Rowlands Nature Refuge, west of Gympie. The largest of the protected parcels designated for koala habitat is the 1,372.49 hectare Parrattamow Creek Nature Refuge north-west of Augathella, north of Charleville. Koala conservation groups say valuable koala habitat is being destroyed by developers, who they claim are knocking down mature trees to build new infrastructure. Rebecca Larkin, from the Ipswich Koala Protection Society, said humans and koalas needed to co-exist and good planning could allow both to thrive. "All the scientists agree that if we keep going the way we're going, there aren't going to be any left in south-east Queensland," Ms Larkin said. The government will announce its 20-year tourism vision on Monday, with one eye on the Olympics in 2032 and the huge influx of visitors expected to visit the state. Promoting the state's natural beauty is expected to form part of the tourism strategy.
ABC News
24-05-2025
- ABC News
Rangers search for a stabbed K'gari (Fraser Island) dingo that attacked child
Wildlife rangers say a dingo that was stabbed with a pocketknife to free a child from its jaws on K'gari (Fraser Island) is not expected to survive as they continue to search for the wounded animal. Community leaders are calling the attack an "unfortunate" reminder to keep children within arm's reach when visiting the World Heritage-listed island. Authorities said the 9-year-old boy was at a camp area near Yidney Rocks, on the central-east coast of K'gari, when he was bitten on the arm on Friday. Multiple witnesses reported to rangers that a bystander sprung to his aid, attempting to pull the dingo off the child. Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service ranger Mark Cody said the man reportedly produced a pocketknife and stabbed the dingo in the neck to halt the attack on the child. "Whilst [rangers] were trying to manage the people on the beach, and while other staff were bringing the appropriate medication to provide humane relief to the animal, the animal has moved further into the bush." Mr Cody said the dingo's chance of survival, and the likelihood that rangers will recover the animal from K'gari's dense bushland, were slim. "Rangers are still attempting to try and locate that animal. They will continue to do that through the weekend," Mr Cody said. "I can't say for sure we will find the animal because the behaviour is that it would probably try and find somewhere which is very reclusive such as a hollow log or under a tree." The dingo is a protected species on K'gari, but Mr Cody said the man will not be charged over his actions to save the child. The boy was transported to Hervey Bay with minor injuries. Traditional Owners are reminding parents to keep their children close and never travel alone when on K'gari. Butchulla leader Darren Blake has worked as a dingo ranger on the island and said these kinds of incidents can be prevented. "It's not good news on both ends. My heart goes out to the little boy, he didn't need to experience that," Mr Blake said. "The wongari [dingo] has paid the ultimate price. "Being a parent and going over there you can't relax, you can never relax. Mr Blake urged visitors to use a stick to shoo away dingoes lingering around campsites. "The dingoes are not starving, but they are hunters and scavengers … so they will take an opportunity as soon as they have a chance," he said. "Everyone needs to do the right thing and deter the animal. Don't let it hang around you." Deputy Mayor of the Fraser Coast Regional Council, Sara Faraj, said campers and day-trippers should approach rangers if they are concerned about dingoes on the island. "It's really important the people going onto the island are educated as best as possible to understand the risk of going onto the island," she said. The Queensland government said rangers have increased patrols around the area where the attacked occurred and engaged with tourists about dingo safety.
