AROUND 300 people voiced their opposition on Sunday against the proposed clearing of Woogaroo Forest for 1,800 homes at Springfield.

Audible sobs were heard at the Opossum Creek oval as Ipswich vet Jeannet Kessels gave a moving public address [full transcript opposite] in defence of the natural world.

Later, locals at the protest spoke with Queensland Conservation Council’s Jen Basham and Greens Senator Larissa Waters.

Locals say Stockland’s Springview Villages 2 and 3 would “effectively destroy the last major patch of habitat that koalas and other animals rely on for survival”.

The development involves clearing more than 160 hectares of land for homes and a town centre.

Ridge lines would be levelled by 14 metres, old growth trees felled, and creeks infilled.

Senator Waters, a former environmental lawyer, told the Ipswich Tribune: “This is vital koala habitat; the koala is on the brink of extinction in Southeast Queensland – we can’t come back from extinction.

“We need affordable homes that don’t result in Stockland making millions of dollars at the expense of the last of our natural bushland.

“We need medium density infill; that’s how we can address the housing crisis and not send our precious native wildlife to extinction.

“We’ve already lost most of our remnant bushland in this region and Ipswich has a very bad track record when it comes to clearing.

“The locals love Woogaroo Forest because it brings them solace and tranquillity; that’s important for social cohesion and for people to have a meaningful and enjoyable life.

“We need to balance all of that against Stockland’s private profits and I know which side of the ledger I come down on.

“I have followed the progress of this development and I’m afraid it’s a comedy of errors.

“The council approved the first part of the plan five seconds after the election, and it wasn’t even the council who ticked off on it, it was council bureaucrats.

“Council says it’s code assessable and that there’s further council approvals needed but it’s not clear whether that will be code or impact assessable.

“And, miraculously, this area is exempted from vital koala protections; it is a total farce.”

Queensland Conservation Society’s Jen Basham said a pathway existed to save the forest in perpetuity.

“The State could compensate Stockland for the land, but we need political leadership to make that possible,” Ms Basham said.

“Stockland, Ipswich City Council, and others must get on board and see the value of doing this – particularly given the endangered species that exist in this forest.”

Find the Save Woogaroo Forest group on Facebook and use the QR code to sign the petition.

‘WHERE WILL ALL THE ANIMALS GO?’

BELLBIRD Park Preservation Group’s Kim Vellnagel says she has rarely seen such strong community sentiment against a proposed Ipswich development.

The former Bellbird Park resident said the Woogaroo Forest protest showed the community were fed-up.

“We need the trees for our physical and mental health,” Ms Vellnagel said.

“Who will hold the rescue cages to capture the echidnas, wallabies and koalas who will end up on our lawns with nowhere else to run?

“Why approve land that people are saying they don’t want developed, it is ridiculous.”

Keen environmentalist and photographer Anne Reardon said she felt transparency had been lacking during the planning process.

“If we’re going to bulldoze our natural heritage, we can at least be honest about what we’re sacrificing, because we’re sacrificing everything here,” Ms Reardon said.

“The developer and council say Woogaroo Forest has no environmental value because it has been logged, so why is it mapped as an area of state and federal environmental significance based on significant remnant habitats within the forest?

“To keep saying that it’s only logging regrowth is dishonest.

“I think we need to have a discussion around that now.

“It is interesting to note that, in 2004, a deceased quoll was found as roadkill on the Centenary ramp offroad to Camira.

“We don’t know what’s in the forest. The Stockland ecological report differs so vastly from other surveys like eBird.”

Meanwhile, grandmother Gaby and her grandchildren are worried about the future.

“‘Where will the koalas and kangaroos go?’ my beautiful grandkids ask me,” Gaby said.

“Madison and Sadie are here today because they want to grow up to be adults and still enjoy wildlife and walks in the forest close to where they live.

“Many tears shall fall if this wonderful forest is chopped down.”