Release: Taxpayers Stand With Koalas

The Australian Taxpayers’ Alliance (ATA), a 75,000+ member grassroots advocacy group representing the nation's taxpayers, today condemned the Federal Environmental Department's decisions to contradict their own stated policies by approving developments which will destroy nearly 75 hectares of critical Koala habitat west of Brisbane.

"We are proud to stand with our fluffy friends who face the threat of extinction partly because of the failure of taxpayer-funded bureaucrats to do their jobs and safeguard endangered Australian wildlife." said Satya Marar, ATA Director of Policy.

"Here at the ATA, we love development and have long campaigned to end burdensome and unnecessary red and green tape that holds back our businesses and national aspirations.

"But we also have a reasonable expectation that regulations which are genuinely vital for sustainable development and the protection of our native wildlife and ecosystems will be enforced by those we pay to enforce them.

"The Federal Environmental Department admits that the developments it approved do not meet the basic obligation to offset the habitat loss which they will inflict upon Koalas, yet it nonetheless decided to grant approvals just to remain consistent with faulty decisions that it has previously made.

"Two wrongs don't make a right and this is simply not good enough.

"Much like bureaucrats, koalas can also be slow and lazy. However, unlike bureaucrats, koalas are also cuddly. People actually like koalas.

"If the communist Chinese government can at least do the right thing by its pandas through supporting their conservation, then it's surely a national shame if Australia can't do the same for our beloved marsupials."