Residents of Australian town fight to stop 1,800 new homes in koala habitat

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A new housing proposal in Australia could threaten precious koala habitat according to hundreds of local residents who have banded together to oppose the plan. Spanning hundreds of hectares in the city of Ipswich, southwest of Brisbane, the Woogaroo Forest is where an estimated 200 koalas live. “You get all sorts of things, kookaburras wake you up, they're the first things to call out in the morning. And from time to time, we see the odd koala,” says local Keith McCosh. But some of this precious habitat could disappear because of a new development proposal. Stockland, the developer behind the project, intends to destroy native bushland to build 1,800 houses, a sports park, and a childcare center. The city’s council approved the project in March but more than 200 residents have opposed it. ”People in Brookwater will wake up one morning and half of the hillside on the other side of the creek from there will be gone. That's just total vandalism,” says McCosh. It’s estimated that the Ipswich population will double in the next 20 years and, with it, the need for more housing. “We have a lot of homelessness. So, all three levels of government need to balance those things to make sure that we get a great outcome for the community,” says Ipswich City Mayor Teresa Harding. The developer is now waiting for the Federal Government to give its approval and it says its environmental approvals are good. But conservationists do not agree. “Absolutely, we are concerned that in the rush to build housing, we're not protecting these important remnant forests in southeast Queensland. We also know that we can build the houses we need and not destroy this habitat,” says Queensland Conservation Council Dave Copeman. David Harris has lived in the area for more than a decade. Enraged by the decision, Mr. Harris penned a letter to naturalist Sir David Attenborough, inviting him to visit the forest on his next Australian tour. “What I would want to do is to get him up into this area, and stand where I'm standing now,” concludes Harris. This article was provided by The Associated Press.