WOOGAROO Forest, a rare remnant of bushland between Goodna and Springfield, remains the latest flashpoint in Australia’s environmental movement.

International scientists and conservationists at the weekend visited 160 hectares of the forest currently under threat from the plan to build dwellings and retail at the site east of Brookwater.

Twenty delegates from across six continents – including ecologists, veterinarians, biodiversity policy experts and researchers – gathered in the forest to witness what they described as the planned “shocking” example of environmental degradation enabled by weak governance, developer influence and outdated planning laws.

Their visit, organised by the Save Woogaroo Forest Group, coincided with the global International Congress for Conservation Biology 2025, being held in Brisbane.

Among the group was Canadian biologist Kyra Rolfe, who specialises in researching the wildlife impacts of deforestation tied to renewable energy projects.

“I came to see the forest for myself, and what I saw was undeniable: koala scat, platypus habitat, and thriving native bushland – all at risk,” Rolfe said.

“To hear that the council dismissed hard evidence of koalas simply because a developer’s report claimed otherwise is devastating. Where do they think the poo came from?

“There are obviously koalas living here in Woogaroo Forest, you can see it from photos provided by locals, from the scat we saw on our walk through the forest, and on the Australian Koala Foundation koala map.”

The group was briefed on the 30-year saga behind Woogaroo Forest’s decline – including the creation of the Springfield Structure Plan in the 1990s, allegations of developer influence over local officials, and the billions made since by Springfield City Group while the forest has steadily been carved away.

Dr Janaina Torres Carreira, a veterinarian and biologist from Brazil working in the UAE, described the visit as her first time in an Australian remnant forest.

“There are so many unique and beautiful bird species here,” she said.

“It would take decades for replanting to replace what’s being lost. Tourists, researchers, local people – we all benefit from forests like this.”

Dr Yves Hingrat, a bird conservation expert from France now based in Abu Dhabi, echoed those concerns.

“Once you lose these native forest corridors, the impacts ripple far beyond the forest edge – they’re felt across entire migratory ecosystems,” he said.

The group walked through the forest, guided by local activists, and saw firsthand the signs of habitat already being cleared.

One attendee, Laura Berthold – a postgraduate student at James Cook University originally from Hawaii – was particularly alarmed.

“To remove 14 metres of topsoil is not just reckless, it’s regional sabotage,” Berthold said.

“Developers are acting without proper environmental approvals, and no one’s stopping them. It raises the question – do governments even care if the developers break the rules?”

The group also questioned the logic of targeting intact forests for urban expansion, while cleared land near infrastructure remains underutilised.

Dr Cassie, a biodiversity researcher from Ethiopia now working in Hungary, noted: “Back home, deforestation often happens out of sheer necessity – for firewood or food.

“But here, I saw vacant cleared land just sitting unused. Why destroy this forest?”

Their collective sentiment was blunt: Woogaroo Forest’s destruction is not inevitable – it’s a choice.

The visit has fuelled renewed calls for urgent intervention.

The Save Woogaroo Forest Group argues that the Springfield Structure Plan – passed in 1997 – is outdated, developer-driven and incompatible with today’s environmental realities.

“Australia is globally known for its wildlife. If it won’t protect its own iconic species like the koala, people like me will think twice before coming here to study or visit,”

“This forest deserves better. So does your future,” Rolfe added.

Make your submission – which when it opens will remain so for only 10 days – to the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act at https://shorturl.at/FziZJ