This newspaper has been critical of the extent of talk and public relations exercises over the last 25 years compared with actual achievement of preserving koala numbers.

Despite all the talk, reports, policies and media conferences, we are still discussing the same issues we were back in 1984.

One of those policy discussions is the number of koalas hit by cars.

Redland City Council recently received a report from consultants on an action plan to cut the number of incidents where koalas are injured by vehicles.

The comprehensive report tells us the stark statistics of koala deaths involving vehicles and outlines options such fauna exclusion fencing, underpasses and overpasses, reduction of speed limits and awareness signage on roads.

The report discusses what was known as the koala speed trial between 1995 and 1999 where certain sections of major roads had reduced speed - such as from 80km/h down to 60 km/h - between 7pm and 5am from August to December.

A Main Roads Department sponsored study into the trial concluded that there was no evidence vehicle speeds reduced during the trial, because motorists did not consistently obey the speed restrictions and police did not commit resources to enforcing the limits.

Despite the official rejection of these speed zones, local koala groups at the time saw merit in the project.

The zones had the benefits of constant awareness of the need to be alert for koalas, and were a relatively cheap alternative to many of the expensive infrastructure proposals and arguably more effective than signs saying wildlife zone or slow down for koalas.

Now is the time to re-open the debate on koala speed zones, at a time when speed is a broader issue in the community resulting in an increased human road toll.