Residents of Western Glenvale will gather at 5.30pm on Tuesday 20 January for a community meeting at the end of Rebecca Street to discuss serious concerns about a proposed development at 300 Drayton Wellcamp Road (Application MCUI/2025/7307).
The proposal seeks intensive residential rezoning and subdivision in an area that currently supports remnant vegetation and forms part of an important local koala habitat network adjacent to the Toowoomba Showgrounds.
Ahri Tallon, Coordinator of the Darling Downs Environment Council (DDEC), said developments with direct impacts on remnant koala populations must not proceed without proper strategic planning for nature corridors.
“This development should not be approved in isolation. Any proposal that directly impacts remnant koala habitat needs to be stopped until comprehensive planning for wildlife corridors has been completed,” Ms Tallon said.
“We should be expanding and restoring habitat for the Showgrounds koalas — not removing the last remaining high-quality patches that allow this population to survive.”
Community members are particularly concerned about the loss of native vegetation, the fragmentation of wildlife corridors, the lack of transitional lot sizes in the proposal between existing residents and the cumulative impacts of intensified development in an area that currently provides refuge and movement pathways for koalas and other native species.
The meeting will provide an opportunity for residents and supporters to:
- Share concerns about the loss of koala habitat, wildlife corridors, and local biodiversity
- Discuss impacts on neighbourhood amenity, privacy, liveability, and inappropriate transitional density between new and existing housing
- Coordinate submissions to Toowoomba Regional Council calling for either rejection of the current application or a Planning Scheme Amendment that requires:
- Permanently protected wildlife corridors and ecological buffers connecting hills, remnant vegetation, and the Showgrounds
- Transitional densities and minimum lot sizes that respect existing neighbourhood character
- Strong, enforceable protections for trees and koala habitat, including buffer zones
- Permanently protected wildlife corridors and ecological buffers connecting hills, remnant vegetation, and the Showgrounds
Ms Tallon said there are immediate, practical steps Council can take to improve habitat connectivity in the area.
“We are calling on Toowoomba Regional Council to not only require nature corridors on this property along the eastern and southern edges but engage local expert Derrick Wagner to get koala tree planting at the bottom corner of his property behind the Pony Club,” she said.
“That site is a strategic pinch point. Planting and protecting koala feed and shelter trees there would help reconnect remaining habitat around the Showgrounds and demonstrate Council’s commitment to genuine conservation outcomes and helping this population thrive in the lead up to the Olympics. If this population disappears and our local and state governments did nothing to protect it I vow to make sure the animal loving attendees at the equestrian Olympics know who is responsible.”
Residents also note that protecting and enhancing the Showgrounds koala population aligns with broader community and economic opportunities, including nature-based tourism and Toowoomba’s positioning ahead of the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
“These koalas are part of what makes Toowoomba special,” Ms Tallon said.
“Once this habitat is gone, it is gone forever. Council has a responsibility to plan for growth in a way that safeguards nature, community wellbeing, and our shared future.”
Community Meeting Details
- Date: Tuesday 20 January
- Time: 5.30pm
- Location: End of Rebecca Street, Glenvale, QLD
The meeting is open to all local residents, supporters, and community members who wish to be involved in shaping the future of Western Glenvale and protecting its unique natural environment.
Ahri Tallon
Coordinator
Darling Downs Environment Council
Ph: 0455 619 454
Em: info@ddec.org.au
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