An economist for THG Economics and Research, Richard Katter, said taking away housing land would impact on the economy and social wellbeing and, in turn, impede environmental protection.

"If the sustainability of our natural environment is to be matched by economic and social sustainability, particularly in the face of our strong population growth forecasts, a new model for residential housing needs to be established," he said.

"Without economic and social sustainability we will be unable to achieve environmental sustainability."

The measures will also need to avoid creating "islands of koala habitat at the expense of all other remaining koala habitat", according to conservation spokesman Simon Baltais.

The State president of the Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland and member of the Premier's Koala Taskforce said he looked forward to the release of more details of the proposal.

"Since 1995 the State Government has been making promises of improved koala protection but since then koalas have gone from common to vulnerable and to near extinction in some regions of South East Queensland," Mr Baltais said.

"If the Bligh Government wanted to stop eradicating koalas and the thousands of other species being bulldozed daily into the ground in SEQ they would stop their madcap quest for endless growth and strive to achieve an ecologically sustainable human population in SEQ."

President of the Koala Action Group in Redlands, Debbie Pointing, said the government's commitment to infill development meant any other measures would be ineffective.

"If the Government was serious, they'd look at their policy of population growth in the Redlands and in South East Queensland in general: we can't have both, the environment and koalas will suffer with increased density," Ms Pointing said.

The State Government's proposed measures are available at www.derm.qld.gov. au