Deputy Premier Overrules Council to Approve School Expansion on Koala Habitat
In a controversial decision, Queensland’s Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie has approved a private school's plan to build sporting ovals on land designated as koala habitat, reversing a previous council rejection.
Approval Process and Background
Ormiston College, a private school in Brisbane's eastern suburbs, initially applied to the Redland City Council in 2021 for permission to construct additional ovals and buildings. The council denied that application. In April 2025, the school submitted a revised plan directly to the Queensland state government.
On Tuesday, Bleijie approved the plan via a Ministerial Infrastructure Designation. The approval is scheduled to become effective upon official gazettal, which is expected on Friday. The school’s expansion involves the removal of approximately 652 mature trees.
Ecological Impact and Disagreements
The school's ecological report states that one-third of the koala habitat on the site would need to be cleared, and that clearing would occur in areas with recorded low-level koala activity. College principal Michael Hornby stated that the construction area was identified through multiple ecological surveys conducted between 2016 and 2023 as a koala transit corridor, not a breeding or high-density habitat.
The Redland City Council sent a letter to Bleijie questioning the accuracy of the school’s ecological report. Citizen scientists reported 23 koala sightings on the property in the past year, with additional sightings in the surrounding area. According to the Redlands Koala Action Group, a GPS-tracked koala named Leaf moved onto the Ormiston College site overnight during the clearing process. Leaf survived a car strike that left her blind in one eye and was released after rehabilitation. The group's president characterized the clearing as a loss of significant core koala habitat.
The Redland City Council has stated it supports the project in principle but disputes the ecological report. The Federal Environment Department stated they are aware of the project but have not received a referral; it is the school's responsibility to refer the project if a significant impact on national environmental matters is likely.
Key Figures at a Glance:
- Mature trees to be removed: 652
- Koala habitat to be cleared: One-third of the site
- GPS-tracked koala affected: Leaf (blind in one eye)
- Council koala population estimate: 350 to 500 individuals
Public Response and Conditions of Approval
The government received hundreds of public submissions, most opposing the expansion. Protests have been held outside the school and Parliament House, including an incident where a former Greens candidate was arrested for jumping a fence and graffiti on the college's welcome sign. A petition urging rejection attracted 8,300 signatures. Hornby stated the school respects the right to protest.
Bleijie stated his decision was based on independent advice from the State Development and Planning Department. The approval requires the school to retain existing mature vegetation unless removal is necessary for the development or if trees pose an unacceptable safety risk.
Broader Koala Population Context
Koala populations in Australia exhibit contrasting regional trends.
In southern regions, such as the Mount Lofty Ranges in South Australia, populations are considered overabundant, leading to habitat degradation and starvation.
A recent study from the University of Technology Sydney and the Australian Museum projects a 17 to 25 percent increase in the Mount Lofty Ranges population over the next 25 years. In these areas, koalas were introduced in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and thrive in the absence of natural predators.
Conversely, koala populations in Queensland, New South Wales, and the Australian Capital Territory were listed as endangered by the Australian government in 2022, with declines attributed to land-clearing, disease, vehicle strikes, and climate change. The koala population on the Redlands Coast has shown signs of stabilization after an estimated 80 percent reduction since the early 2000s. Current estimates from the Redlands Council place the population between 350 and 500 individuals.