Queensland citizens draws to the attention of the House that endangered koalas experience a wide range of increasing threats and require special consideration to prevent their extinction on the Gold Coast. The protected areas of Burleigh Heads National Park and Burleigh Ridge Conservation Reserve, that form part of the Burleigh to Springbrook critical habitat corridor, are divided by the Gold Coast Highway and 25,000 vehicle movements per day. This poses a lack of safe connectivity of habitat for wildlife and the serious danger of vehicle strike with harm to both animals and humans. The proposed Light Rail Stage 4 project will increase challenges for wildlife movement due to further habitat disconnection and disruption caused by construction.

Your petitioners, therefore, request the House to do all within its power to urgently provide a safe land-bridge fauna crossing for wildlife between Burleigh Heads National Park and Burleigh Ridge Conservation Reserve, as a stand-alone project, independent of, and prior to the construction of the proposed Light Rail Stage 4.