Queensland's peak environment group has welcomed a new commitment from the state LNP to fund an additional 150 rangers in the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service and Indigenous Land and Sea Rangers should it win next month's election.

The Queensland Conservation Council said today's commitment would help address historic under-resourcing of the state's National Parks management compared with other Australian states.

Conservation Councils from all Australia States and Territories are calling on the Albanese Government to rule out a deal with the Liberal Party that would weaken proposed Nature Positive laws. The groups are calling on the Government and Senate Crossbench to work together to pass these laws.

Hundreds have marched on Queensland's parliament house today demanding stronger action for nature protection, as the state continues to lead the country with the highest number of threatened species.

Around 200 concerned citizens and environmental groups today marched in Brisbane's CBD, and demanding the ALP and LNP outline their plan to address the extinction crisis in the lead up to the October election.

The rally called on both political parties to commit to a range of urgent measures to tackle the extinction crisis in the state, including

• Setting a target of no new species extinctions
• Introducing an independent environmental protection agency
• Ending deforestation and protecting habitat across the state
• Doubling the state's protected areas estate by 2030
• Invest at least $200 million per annum of Qld state money for threatened species protection and recovery.

It comes as 13 new species have been added to Queensland's threatened species list under the Nature Conservation Act, alarming conservationists about the state of the environment in Queensland.

The Premier and Opposition Leader were both quizzed on their policy positions last night in front of 1,000 people at the Queensland Community Alliance's Maroonprint Assembly.

Opposition Leader David Crisafulli would not commit to supporting Queensland's renewable energy targets, which Shadow Energy Minister Deb Frecklington had previously indicated the LNP supported.

Conservationists are celebrating the announcement today of a new park to protect iconic greater gliders who have been spotted in hollows of irreplaceable forest trees in the Eastern Hardwoods region near Maryborough.

The Queensland government plans to establish a new Greater Glider Forest Park as part of a plan to reform the state's timber industry and protect nature.

Queensland Conservation Council congratulates the Minister for Environment on taking forward this idea proposed by QCC, signifying the Government’s commitment to ending native forest logging and saving iconic species, alongside having a sustainable timber industry.

QCC Director Dave Copeman said:

We strongly welcome this new 54,317 hectare refuge for greater gliders! Glider habitat continues to be logged and cleared on both private and public lands across their range, so every hectare we can save is critical.

It is a much needed breather for one of our cutest and irreplaceable Queenslanders, the greater glider.

Sadly we know from overwhelming evidence that logging is incompatible with protecting this species. When greater gliders’ feed trees or nest trees are taken, they die.

It’s urgent we do all we can to save this incredible Queensland species from extinction, and shift the timber sector into planted forests which already supply 90% of our timber needs.

Logging native forests is outdated and we owe it to Queensland to create a more sustainable path and timber supply.

Forests are worth more to Queenslanders when trees are left standing, for jobs in nature, tourism, clean water, healthy soil and other things we take as a given.

A new poll has found the majority of Queenslanders, 57 per cent, agree we need to quickly bring online more renewable energy to prevent energy supply shortfalls and bring down power prices.

This comes as Queensland suffers through a scorching end of winter heatwave that could result in bill shock for consumers switching on air conditioning.

The poll of more than 2,000 Queensland residents, commissioned by the Queensland Conservation Council, shows the majority of Queensland voters, 54 per cent, want the Queensland LNP to support the state’s existing renewable energy targets.

In April, the Queensland Parliament legislated renewable energy targets of 70 per cent by 2032 and 80 per cent by 2035. The Queensland Opposition voted against legislating the renewable energy targets and does not currently have an energy plan despite public support for clean and cheap energy.

Queensland Conservation Council slams the Queensland Government’s decision to deliver the first funding under the Low Emissions Investment Partnership to build a new gas fired power station at an existing coal mine.

The decision would see the Queensland Government pay coal miner Stanmore to build infrastructure to burn super pollutant methane to bring down the company’s energy costs at their South Walker mine site near Nebo in central Queensland.

Around a third of global heating to date is caused by methane. Methane traps more than 80 times more heat than carbon dioxide over twenty years in the atmosphere.

The Queensland Conservation Council is calling for strong regulation on methane measurement, reporting and reduction, not subsidies for more fossil fuel infrastructure.

Queensland Conservation Council has welcomed the passage of a motion in Parliament on Tuesday to transfer 12 state forests into new and expanded national parks but is concerned by language suggesting cattle grazing in national parks is a preferred option by some members of the LNP.

Read the report: Koalas or coal mines, how the federal government can help save Australia's most iconic species (PDF 40mb)

A shocking new report, 'Koalas or coal mines, how the federal government can help save Australia's most iconic species' reveals that federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek is facing approval decisions on 23 new coal mines and expansions in NSW and Queensland that are proposing to clear thousands of hectares of endangered koala habitat and produce more than 8 billion tonnes of carbon pollution.

The research concludes that at least 26 proposed new coal mines will clear important koala habitat, including 23 projects that are being assessed under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act and seeking approval from the Albanese government and three projects that have not yet been referred for EPBC assessment. The 26 coal mining projects plan to clear a combined total of 11,644 hectares of koala habitat if granted approval by the federal government, an area equivalent to 112 square kms, which is around 5,822 MCG sized sporting fields, or 41 times the size of Sydney's CBD.

Queensland has an opportunity to secure a sustainable and stable source of timber through a full plantation-based industry, but the government must build from the state's Stakeholder Timber Advisory Group (STAG), which met for the first time today.

On Thursday, the Australian Climate and Biodiversity Foundation and Queensland Conservation Council advocated for the transition to a full plantation-based timber industry that will chart a new future for Queensland's forests, construction industry and forestry jobs while protecting Queensland's natural assets.