When undertaking new developments and infrastructure, Environmental Impact Assessments must be carried out to determine whether a project will affect a threatened species. If it does, the project should be modified to avoid further affecting a threatened species. But more often than not, infrastructure projects tend to prioritise efficiency over animal protection. Koala-detecting dogs are being used to find our beloved vulnerable koalas in places developers assume they don’t inhabit, which are declining in number.

The Daily was joined by Romane Cristecu, Research Fellow in Ecology at the University of the Sunshine Coast, to discuss how this research highlights the need for reform of environmental regulations to protect threatened species during development.