The SEQ regional plan submission coupon that appeared in SEQ newspapers. You can clip and send the coupon too

An alliance of environmental and community groups wants South-East Queensland residents to demand the State Government stop destroying the region’s environment and quality of life with huge population increases.

Under the State Government's Draft SEQ Regional Plan 2009-31, the population of the region would swell by another 1.3 million people within 20 years – to the same size as Sydney.

'This massive planned increase in population will condemn SEQ to an ever-worsening quality of life and eliminate any chance we might have of living sustainably,' said Simon Baltais, spokesperson for the alliance of groups that includes the Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland, Sustainable Population Australia, the Nerang Community Association, Queensland Conservation Council, Sunshine Coast Environment Council, Gold Coast & Hinterland Environment Council (Gecko) and the Community Alliance for Responsible Planning (CARP) Redlands.

'The numbers proposed under the draft plan will bring SEQ's total population to 4.4 million,' Mr Baltais said.

'This draft plan will push another 750,000 dwellings into existing urban areas and wildlife-friendly greenfield sites.

'This population growth will further stress an already overpopulated region, placing more pressure on SEQ's already ailing water supplies, hospitals and health systems, transport systems and affordable housing. It will massively increase demand for more carbon-generating coal-fired energy supply, threaten koalas and other wildlife with extinction through habitat loss and will likely push the fragile Moreton Bay fishery to final collapse.'

The alliance has placed large coupon-style advertisements in major regional newspapers from the Sunshine Coast to the Gold Coast in the 2 weeks leading up to the deadline for community submissions on the draft plan. The combined readership of the newspapers could be up to half a million people.

Clip and send the coupon submission to the Queensland Government today.

‘We want concerned residents of SEQ to clip and send the ready-made submission to the State Government,’ said Mr Baltais. 

‘We’ve made it easy for everyone to say we don’t want 1.3 million more people shoe-horned into this corner of the State.’

Queenslanders have until Friday 1 May to respond to the Draft SEQ Regional Plan 2009-2031.

Find out more about the Draft SEQ Regional Plan and how to have your say.

For more information about the poultry shed grant scheme and other activities, contact Wildlife Queensland by email or call +61 7 3221 0194.