Protecting Country for Animals, People & the Planet

At the Animal Justice Party Queensland, we know that the health of our natural environment is inseparable from animal welfare, community wellbeing and a safe climate future. We are Australia’s only political party dedicated to protecting animals, people and the planet through compassionate, evidence‑based policies and political action.

Habitat loss is one of the greatest threats facing wildlife in Queensland and across Australia. When forests, woodlands and bushland are cleared, not only are irreplaceable ecosystems destroyed, but millions of animals are displaced, injured or killed. Land clearing also accelerates biodiversity loss, increases carbon emissions and weakens our natural resilience to climate change.

We stand for stronger protections for habitat at every level of government, preserving vital ecosystems, halting unnecessary clearing and ensuring biodiversity thrives for generations to come.

Why Habitat Matters

Native habitat is not ‘empty space’ - it is life. Every patch of forest, bushland and wetlands supports a network of plants and animals that depend on that country for survival. Healthy habitats:

• Provide shelter and food for wildlife.
  
• Support clean air, healthy soil and water filtration.
  
• Store carbon and help buffer against climate extremes.
  
• Strengthen cultural connections and community wellbeing

Animals are sentient beings with intrinsic worth. The AJP believes wild animals have a right to live free from harm, and that protecting their homes is a fundamental part of justice.

Our Commitment to Habitat Protection

Our policy approach reflects our national platform:

🌿 Immediate action on land clearing - Recognise land clearing as both an environmental and animal welfare crisis, and halt clearing associated with animal agriculture, inappropriate development and other drivers of habitat loss.

🌱 Wildlife Protection and Connectivity - Safeguard the places wild animals rely on by preventing fragmentation of habitat and supporting proactive restoration, rewilding and habitat corridors.

🌳 End native forest logging - Protect existing forests, restore areas already logged, and support communities and industries through a just transition to sustainable alternatives.

📜 Stronger Legal Standards - Embed habitat protection as a core planning principle and strengthen laws that recognise interconnected ecological systems and the rights of nature.

You can read some of our position statements here;

Environmental Law - AJP National

Forestry - AJP National

Land Clearing - AJP National

Current Campaigns in Queensland

🐨 Redlands Koala Conservation - Protect Koala Habitat

Issue:

A current concern in the Redlands is the proposed expansion of facilities at Ormiston College. The proposal is expected to involve the clearing of around 650 mature trees in a Koala Priority Area, potentially removing essential food trees, shelter, and movement corridors that koalas rely on to survive in urban landscapes. Experts and community groups have argued that replacing mature habitat trees with seedlings does not compensate for the decades it takes for new plantings to provide equivalent ecological function.

Our Position:

The Animal Justice Party QLD strongly opposes any land clearing that destroys koala habitat. The loss and fragmentation of bushland is not only a biodiversity and climate crisis but also an animal welfare issue. Each year, countless koalas and other wildlife are killed, injured, or displaced due to development pressures across south-east Queensland, including in the Redlands region.

Our Policy Approach:

• Establish clear statutory protections for koala habitat and wildlife corridors within all relevant planning frameworks.
  
• Implement stringent assessment and approval processes for developments that may impact koala habitat trees, ensuring environmental and animal welfare impacts are fully considered.
  
• Provide funding and support for habitat restoration projects and community-led conservation initiatives in the Redlands region.
  
• Strengthen partnerships with local councils, Indigenous custodians, and conservation groups to monitor, manage, and safeguard koala populations.

You can read more about the Ormiston College expansion here - Ormiston College koala habitat destruction - Redlands2030

👉 Sign the petition -  https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/Work-of-the-Assembly/Petitions/petition-details/4452-26  

👉 Send a pre-written letter to Minister Bleijie calling for koala habitat protection and refusal of the MID application. 

🌲 Save Woogaroo Forest 

Issue:

Woogaroo Forest (also known historically as Woogaroo Scrub) is one of the few remaining large stands of remnant bushland between Ipswich and Springfield, covering roughly 450 hectares of diverse habitat for koalas, powerful owls, platypus, sugar gliders, echidnas and many other species. Although not formally gazetted as protected land, it has long been valued for its wildlife and biodiversity.

The forest is now under significant pressure from multiple proposed housing developments, including subdivisions planning approximately 1,800 homes and associated infrastructure - plans that would result in habitat loss, fragmentation of wildlife corridors and disruption of ecological functions. Experts have cautioned that this sort of piecemeal development across critical bushland can have cumulative impacts that significantly reduce habitat availability and species resilience, especially for koalas already facing severe population declines across south‑east Queensland

Our Position:
AJP QLD opposes any development or activity that results in habitat destruction, fragmentation, or logging in this area. Protecting Woogaroo aligns with our commitment to prioritise wildlife welfare, biodiversity, and climate resilience over commercial exploitation.

Our Policy Approach:

• Introduce legislative protections to prohibit logging and development that threaten Woogaroo Forest.
• Implement science-based management plans to maintain and enhance biodiversity, forest integrity, and wildlife corridors.
  
• Support rehabilitation programs and ongoing monitoring to ensure forest ecosystems are resilient and thriving.
  
• Engage local stakeholders, including Indigenous custodians and conservation organisations, to ensure inclusive, transparent governance and management of forest areas.

You can read more about Woogaroo Forest here - Save Woogaroo Forest

👉 Sign the petition - Petition · Murray Watt, save the koalas of Woogaroo Forest, Ipswich Queensland, Australia - Ipswich, Australia · Change.org