Koala foundation calls on premier for help

The fate of southeast Queensland's declining koala population lies with Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk introducing a land-clearing moratorium, the Australian Koala Foundation says.

Chief executive Deborah Tabart has sent a letter to the premier's office demanding the moratorium on the clearing of all known koala habitats in the state.

Ms Tabart also on Monday requested a halt on development applications in specific areas across Queensland's southeast, until a plan is in place to protect koala habitats.

She said she had no faith in the ability of an expert panel, announced by Environment Minister Steven Miles on Saturday, to adequately protect dwindling numbers of koalas from extinction.

The announcement was in response to a University of Queensland report, released in August 2015, which found koala populations in and around Brisbane had decreased by as much as 80 per cent.

Ms Tabart told ABC Radio she was "disgusted" with politicians from both major parties for their refusal to act and protect Queensland's koalas over the past 25 years.

She said former premier Campbell Newman had an "appalling" land clearing policy.

But the AKF chief executive also placed the blame on former Labor premiers Wayne Goss, Peter Beattie and Anna Bligh.

Ms Tabart challenged Ms Palaszczuk to listen to her organisation.

"We are confident we could help the koala and of course we are committed to a Koala Protection Act, which would work - it would stop trees being cleared," she said in her letter.

A spokesman for Ms Palaszczuk reiterated the government's plan to introduce an expert panel.

He told AAP the premier last year accepted a recommendation to list the koala as vulnerable, following the previous Newman government's refusal to do so.