Nearly 300 koalas died near Qld rail works

More than 280 koalas died during the construction of Brisbane's troubled Moreton Bay Rail Link.

Statistics released by the Department of Main Roads and Transport paint a damning portrait of poor planning around the relocation of the koala population.

The Moreton Bay Rail Link project, currently delayed due to signalling problems, lopped trees and cleared the koala habitat, which was one of the most significant koala habitats in southeast Queensland.

Since tagging began in March 2013, 481 koalas have been successfully tagged and monitored.

Tragically, over half of those have died.

Wild dogs accounted for 116 of the total deaths, and are the suspected of causing another 38 deaths.

According to leading koala expert Professor Darryl Jones, relocating koalas can be an extremely dangerous and problematic process.

"Koalas know when they are not home... and they get on the ground and walk for miles, looking for where 'home' used to be," he told The Brisbane Times.