Conservationists have welcomed the expansion of the Daisy Hill Conservation Park to better protect endangered koala habitat, while calling for more to be done to protect the species from going extinct in the state's South East.

The Queensland Government has purchased 213 hectares of land to add to the iconic Daisy Hill Conservation Park, which is not only home to a much loved koala centre, but also endangered koalas who live in this eucalypt forest.

The Queensland Department of Environment, Science and Innovation's recent approval of Whitehaven's proposed mega mine, Winchester South, is a terrible decision that will impact on Queenslanders still clearing up from storms, fires and floods made worse by climate change.

With threats of yet another tropical cyclone looming over the Coral Sea, a sobering truth has emerged: climate change is no longer a distant threat but an immediate issue for all Queenslanders.

Conservationists have welcomed the purchase of two cattle stations in north west Queensland in the spectacular Channel Country.

Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service has bought Tonkoro and part of Melrose near Winton, adding about 200,000 hectares to expand existing national parks in the area.

The Queensland Conservation Council is calling for more government support for household solar, storage and energy efficiency in response to power outages across the state.

"Unfortunately, due to climate change we’re seeing more frequent and extreme heat waves and other weather events and this puts our electricity grid under a lot of stress," said Stephanie Gray, campaigner at Queensland Conservation Council.

Queensland has reached an incredible clean energy milestone: 1 million rooftop solar installations, according to data by the Clean Energy Regulator.

The Queensland Conservation Council celebrates Queensland's world leading uptake of rooftop PV and says the rooftop revolution was made possible by smart government policy.

The Queensland Conservation Council urges the Government to ensure that the impact of climate change is a key focus within the Federal Government investigation into the nation's emergency warning system, triggered by heightened scrutiny over announcement delays from the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM). 

Dave Copeman says "Australia is facing unprecedented challenges due to climate change, and our emergency systems must adapt to these new realities. We know that as the climate warms, extreme weather events become both more intense and more unpredictable. 

What we have seen in Cairns and the Gold Coast are clear examples of this. The inquiry is an essential step in ensuring that our emergency warning system is responsive to current challenges, but it also needs to ensure that it can handle the increased uncertainty and amplified risks posed by a changing climate". 

Climate change has been missing from the public discussion about these disasters, by political leaders and media reports, and yet the lessons for how we report and respond to these must be informed by climate science. 

We call on the Government to take a holistic approach, where the inquiry includes the impact on a changing climate into the core of emergency warning systems and response strategies.”

With it predicted that Australian households will be paying $35.24 billion every year for the direct costs of extreme weather by 2050, we must invest in more than just an improved warning system. Faster warning systems are important, but they can’t predict every extreme event, and are only part of the solution. 

We need to build greater community capacity to act together as they prepare and respond to extreme weather events. The research shows that a community’s capacity to collaborate, for neighbours to reach out and organise is an essential part of emergency response, and more effective ways to support this action needs to be part of the solution. 

Today's long-awaited decision to ban new oil and gas in the Channel Country is a huge win for the region's diverse wildlife and the future health of the Lake Eyre basin.

Conservationists have welcomed the decision by Premier Steven Miles, which follows years of opposition by Traditional Owners, graziers and environmentalists to oil and gas projects in the region.

The final SEQ Regional Plan update  shows an increased recognition of the need to reign in urban sprawl, and to design better, more resilient, cities and communities.

Many of the features of this updated Plan reflect the principles that SGS Economics & Planning suggested in their independent report Best Practice Regional Planning for SEQ.

However, it does not go far enough in protecting and restoring critical habitat, and ensuring the sustainability and liveability of our communities.

Queensland Conservation Council is calling on the Queensland Government and Opposition to respond fully to the ongoing FNQ flood disasters, and take action to keep Queenslanders safe now and in the future. This includes bipartisan emission reduction targets, and climate resilient planning that properly assesses the impact of climate change.