South East Queensland’s future liveability and Olympic legacy is under threat while the state’s major political parties fail to provide clear plans on how they will protect the environment and support communities as we grow.

Over 35 diverse community and conservation groups from across South East Queensland have called on political leaders to clarify their positions on how they intend to manage development in the region to protect the liveability and sustainability of SEQ.

• Read the full statement and see the list of signatories

Today, new footage from the Wilderness Society and Queensland Conservation Council shows potential habitat for the endangered koala being deliberately burnt and bulldozed to make way for beef pastures. The footage comes just weeks before Queenslanders head to the polls for the state election, with both major parties yet to outline clear plans to protect and restore forests and bushland.

The burnt and bulldozed forest is likely habitat for numerous federally-listed Endangered species that rely on these decades-old regenerating forests for survival, including the Australian Painted Snipe, Koala, Greater Glider, Northern Quoll, Red Goshawk, and Star Finch.

Queensland is Australia’s most biodiverse state, however has the highest rate of deforestation and land clearing on the continent year on year. Between 2021-2022, 323,676 hectares, an area the size of more than 43,000 Suncorp Stadiums was bulldozed.

Wilderness Society analysis shows that in 2021, 75% of all ‘unregulated woody vegetation’ was at least 15 years old and therefore functioning forest ecosystems, consistent with High Value Regrowth regulated under the Queensland Vegetation Management Act. 90% of this deforestation was in threatened species habitat. The latest Queensland government data showed that 58% of deforestation and land clearing across the state occurred in vegetation that was over 15 years old. As functioning forest ecosystems, forests over 15 years old can be hollow-bearing, providing near-irreplaceable habitat for threatened species like koalas and gliders. These forests also act as carbon storage, helping to stabilise the climate.

Queensland’s peak outdoor recreation and conservation organisations say they have been met with “infuriating silence” from political parties on their push to expand the state’s national parks.

Read the report: Cost of keeping Callide B open (PDF 542k)

Keeping Callide B open beyond its 2028 end of life could cost Queenslanders up to $420 million a year, and expose us to risks of wholesale power price spikes by stifling investment in renewable energy backed by storage.

CS Energy’s annual reports show that Callide B appears to have recorded a real loss of $120 million over the last five years, an average of $24 million per year. As a Government owned entity, this is money that the taxpayers ultimately have paid.

The Queensland Conservation Council has condemned the LNP’s comments on extending the life of Queensland’s coal fired power stations, starting with Callide B, as expensive, financially irresponsible and counter-productive.

See the full scorecard and read the analysis behind the grades

It's the end of the school term in Queensland politics, and time to hand out report cards. A new scorecard shows the Queensland Labor Party would significantly outperform the Queensland Liberal National Party on climate action and protecting habitat and threatened species if elected on October 26.

Queensland's peak environment body, the Queensland Conservation Council, today released a scorecard based on analysis of the key political parties' environmental policies and initiatives, finding the ALP scored a B+ while the LNP received a C for their policies on taking action on climate change and protecting nature.

The Greens topped the scorecard with an overall ranking of an A, whereas the Katters received a D; a score given when policies reverse or undermine progress.

An alliance of more than 20 community, environment, faith and industry groups have joined together to publish an open letter in The Courier-Mail calling for energy policy certainty from all major political parties.

Queensland Conservation Council has joined groups including the Smart Energy Council, Anglican Church Southern Queensland, Australian Marine Conservation Society, Uniting Church Queensland Synod, and Australian Conservation Foundation asking for all parties and candidates running in the Queensland election to commit to an energy transition plan with clear timelines.

The open letter signed by more than 20 community groups, is below.

Queensland Conservation Council Director Dave Copeman said:

This open letter shows the depth and breadth of diverse community support for a well-planned transition to renewable energy.

More than 20 community, environment and faith groups have signed on calling for energy certainty that will deliver our bipartisan emissions reduction target of 75% by 2035.

Queensland has one of the most comprehensive energy transition plans in the country and we’re currently on track to reach our renewable energy targets.

The last thing we need right now is chaos and uncertainty that will undermine investor confidence, delay vital planning, and leave consumers exposed to high power bills.

We join these groups in calling on our political leaders to commit to a well-planned, swift transition to cheap, safe renewable energy to keep power prices down and protect Queensland jobs and communities.

The Queensland Conservation Council has welcomed Labor’s commitment to introduce an independent environmental protection agency (EPA), calling for a bipartisan approach to ensure environmental criminals are held to account.

The announcement comes following a lengthy campaign by a number of environment and community groups and regional conservation councils across the state and also nationally, as well as peak environment group QCC.

Queensland is the only state in Australia without an EPA, an independent watchdog that enforces laws to protect wildlife and nature, and holds those who break the laws to account.

An independent EPA will play a crucial role in cracking down on the state’s rampant environmental crime, including widescale illegal deforestation. Over the past four years, a whopping 152,100 hectares of unexplained and potentially illegal land clearing has taken place in Queensland - including 8000 hectares of endangered forest.

A strong, well-resourced EPA would ensure environmental crimes like these are swiftly identified and acted on, protecting our iconic wildlife and natural heritage for future generations.

The state’s peak environmental advocacy organisation is calling for the LNP to match the commitment to introduce a well-resourced independent EPA with teeth ahead of the state election in just a few weeks.

David Crisafulli’s comments today that the LNP will keep Queensland’s coal power stations open indefinitely have been condemned by the Queensland Conservation Council.

As Queenslanders await clarity on the LNP’s energy plan, Peter Dutton has today raised the prospect of convincing a future LNP government to change its mind on nuclear power.

While David Crisafulli has rejected nuclear energy, it’s becoming apparent that the clear alternative currently being proposed to the Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan is from Peter Dutton.

Crisafulli has yet to present a detailed and transparent energy plan for Queensland, and his reluctance to outline a clear roadmap raises questions about the future of the state’s energy strategy, including the Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan.

The Queensland Conservation Council is calling for transparency from David Crisafulli regarding the LNP’s energy plans. Queenslanders deserve clarity on how the party intends to meet the state’s energy needs and emission reduction targets.

The Queensland Conservation Council (QCC) has condemned Vitrinite for potentially illegally clearing over 47 hectares of koala habitat and the mining of coal at the proposed Vulcan South coal mine site without federal approval.

Vitrinite’s application to build the Vulcan South coal mine is still going through Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act assessment, but they have cleared within this area for a test mine.