Redland City Council offers four key habitat protection programs to encourage residents to preserve and increase the diversity of wildlife and plants on their private properties.

For more information on any of these programs, phone IndigiScapes on 3824 8611 or email habitatprotection@redland.qld.gov.au.

Koala Conservation Agreement Program

The Koala Conservation Program was developed to implement Redland City Council's Koala Policy and Strategy adopted in 2008, which aims to stop the rapid decline of koalas, educate the community how to do this, and measure, map and recognise the unique Koala Coast population.

The program is a partnership between a landholder and Council to protect and reinstate koala habitat, manage dogs and improve koala movement through privately held land.

The program is voluntary, and free to join. You can sign up for three or five years but the agreement ends if you sell your property during this time.

Benefits to landowners: 

• Council will financially assist the landowner with annual Koala Habitat Payments to manage koala habitat on their property.
• An optional one-off conservation works contribution towards the cost of revegetation, koala friendly fencing, dog management and management of mature koala food trees
• Property management plan developed in partnership
• Advice on other funding opportunities
• Advice on current bushland management practices
• Advice on dog management and koala friendly fencing

To qualify for the Koala Conservation Agreement Program, your property must:

• have koala habitat, food trees or the ability to support them
  
• be located on the mainland or North Stradbroke Island
  
• be at least 1000 square metres in size.

Eligible properties are capped at 40 properties each financial year.

Your Backyard Garden

This program is for urban landholders who live near Redland City Council bush reserves and aims to make backyards friendlier for wildlife.

An extension officer will visit your property, help with a property assessment of weeds and native plants, vouchers for suitable indigenous plants, and advice on how to attract different species to your garden.

Land for Wildlife

This program helps acreage landholders to provide habitat for wildlife on their properties.

Whether you manage a farm or a bush block, the Land for Wildlife program gives advice and help, via an extension officer, on local plants and eco systems and their management; pest plants and animals and their control; and incentives available to create, protect and improve wildlife habitat.

The Land for Wildlife program already includes more than 100 Redlands properties in its network, and is part of a larger statewide network.

As a program member, you can attend field days, workshops and meet other participants.

Rural Support

Rural Support offers long-term property management assistance to rural landholders.

Help includes an extension officer who will visit and lend ongoing advice on various environmental and economic issues on the property. This includes long-term planning in areas including weed identification and control; feral animal control; revegetating; fire management; and wildlife friendly fencing.

All participants can access the Rural Support workshops and field days that provide great opportunities to learn from others in the same program.

Some financial support is available to assist with environmental projects on properties, as well as advice on seeking other funding. To qualify, properties need to be larger than 6000 sq m.