Residents have rallied in Redlands over a controversial proposal by Ormiston College to clear hundreds of trees, many within mapped koala habitat, to make way for a major campus expansion.
Around 60 community members gathered outside the school’s Dundas Street frontage in Ormiston, holding placards and calling for greater environmental protections as the college progresses plans for new sporting facilities, boarding accommodation and an Olympic-style swimming pool.
The protest follows the college’s application under Queensland’s Ministerial Infrastructure Designation (MID) pathway, a state-level planning process that allows certain developments to bypass local council approval.
Residents say the proposal would see the removal of more than 600 trees, including mature eucalypts considered vital habitat for koalas in the Redlands area, a region already under pressure from urban development.
The site falls within an area identified as priority koala habitat under state mapping. Environmental advocates argue clearing at this scale could further fragment habitat relied upon by the vulnerable species.
Community group Redlands2030 has also raised concerns about the transparency of the MID process, arguing that residents have limited avenues to challenge the proposal compared to standard council development applications.
Ormiston College has defended its master plan, stating it has engaged environmental consultants and intends to undertake staged planting to offset tree removal. The school says the expansion is necessary to accommodate growing enrolments and modernise facilities for students.
A spokesperson for the college previously indicated that replacement planting and environmental management strategies would form part of the project, and that the design has evolved following community feedback.
The debate reflects broader tensions across South East Queensland, where rapid population growth continues to collide with efforts to preserve green space and native wildlife corridors.
Residents say they will continue lobbying the State Government to reconsider the scale of clearing proposed and to explore alternative design options that protect more existing vegetation.
Published 3-Feb-2026
Featured Image Credit: Craig Watson/Pixabay
