DDEC News
Prebunking: Helping Communities Build Resilience to Misinformation
Contributed by Joey Kenneth What is prebunking? Prebunking (also called pre-emptive debunking) is a communication strategy that helps people recognise and resist misinformation before it spreads widely. It’s based on psychological inoculation theory, which compares...
Koalas – environmental significance
Why Are Koalas Considered a Matter of National Environmental Significance? Under the EPBC Act, Koalas are listed as a threatened species. This means that any action (good or bad) can have a significant impact on its habitat. A koala habitat is defined as an area that...
Community Meeting in Glenvale to Oppose Development Threatening Koalas and Local Amenity – Tuesday, 20 January 2026
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...
Toowoomba Region Koala Count 2025 Newsletter
Good Morning Fellow Toowoomba Region Koala Observers Welcome to our December 2025 Newsletter to thank everyone for their involvement in this year’s Koala Count and to announce our RECORD 314 OBSERVATIONS for the month of November 2025 across the Toowoomba Region. Over...
What’s the deal with the train to Brisbane? An (unofficial) Explainer
The short version: There is a train that runs between Toowoomba and Brisbane twice a week. It takes 4.5 hours and costs $44. The Toowoomba Regional Council, the Chronicle, the Federal MP and business leaders are pushing to change that with an improved service. There...
Steady Climate Policy Needed to Protect Regional Economies and Keep Power Costs Down
The Darling Downs Environment Council (DDEC) has urged national leaders to stay the course on practical climate and energy policy, warning that walking away from Australia’s long-term climate commitments would leave regional economies and families worse off. “People...
Webinar: Solar recycling & battery safety
DDEC recently hosted a webinar on Solar Recycling and Battery Safety Webinar with Dr Rong Deng and Dr Deepak Mishra from UNSW. https://youtu.be/BUFBv8wdlAI?si=I5tjga0sXE1J4D7L
Abandoned Coal Boreholes in Queensland
The abandoned coal exploration borehole was drilled many years ago in a paddock in rural Queensland(Photo credit: The University of Queensland) New research from the University of Queensland (UQ) has found an abandoned coal borehole in the Surat Basin leaking methane...
New DDEC Report Calls for Council to Recognise Role of Bushland Parks in Garden City Image
A new report released today by the Darling Downs Environment Council (DDEC) has found that the Toowoomba Regional Council (TRC) is significantly underinvesting in bushland protection and maintenance compared to other South East Queensland councils...
DDEC Welcomes LGAQ QHeat2050 Motion, Calls for Local Tree Action Amid Unseasonal Heat
The Darling Downs Environment Council (DDEC) has welcomed the Local Government Association of Queensland’s (LGAQ) decision yesterday to amply regional conservation group calls for the the creation of a QHeat2050 program. In addition to calling on the State...