SEPTEMBER 30 was ‘Save the Koala Day’ and conservation organisations have called on the State and Federal Governments to do more to protect koalas.

The North East Forest Alliance (NEFA) is appealing to the NSW Government to stop approving core koala habitat for clearing and logging, to demonstrate a genuine intent to stop koalas becoming extinct in the wild by 2050.

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NEFA spokesperson Dailan Pugh said the NSW Government’s spending of tens of millions on koala hospitals, open range zoos and planting seedlings won’t stop koalas becoming extinct in the wild unless they save and stabilise surviving koalas by protecting their existing homes.

“Every day the NSW Government is allowing the Forestry Corporation to cut down mature koala feed trees in public forests, and farmers to bulldoze them, while their propaganda arm goes into overdrive pretending that koalas don’t need their feed trees,” said Mr Pugh.

“We know that koalas only utilise certain individuals of certain species, and that the larger those trees are the more they use them.

“Protecting these key trees and allowing others to mature is essential for the koala’s survival.

“If the NSW Government is sincere about saving koalas they need to ensure thorough surveys of potential habitat before clearing or logging is allowed, and to protect any core koala habitat found.

“For a start they can ditch their current policy that if a logger sees a koala in a tree they just wait for it to leave before they cut its home down,” he said.

On the same day, the Australian Koala Foundation (AKF) appealed to Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek to use her Ministerial powers in NSW, QLD and ACT to do more to protect the koala.

Chair of the Australian Koala Foundation, Deborah Tabart OAM, said if the Government continues to watch key koala habitats be destroyed, the iconic animal will be lost to time.

“I am calling on the Minister to use her Ministerial powers under the EPBC Act to protect all Primary and Secondary A habitat throughout the koala’s entire geographic range where she has the power to do so, and to enact the Koala Protection Act,” Ms Tabart said.

“The Minister must call a halt to the clearing of habitats that sustain koalas.”

Ms Tabart has driven thousands of kilometres this year, mainly through New South Wales, looking at habitats, creeks and the rivers that should sustain healthy koala habitats with healthy koala populations.

“To be frank, it is all tragic!” she said.

“It appears that, even with a new Federal government, bulldozers can work in our forests and urban landscapes with little done to stop them.

“We have had so many people write to AKF this month seeking support to try and stop clearing and often there is nothing to be done, because it has either been approved in the dim dark past or the damage has already been done.”

The AKF has previously written to the new Environment Minister, offering its expertise, scientific and detailed koala habitat mapping, population data and carefully considered solutions to save the koala and its habitat, which they have spent over three decades compiling – however they claim she is yet to reply.

For more information about NEFA contact Dailan Pugh on 0400 711 054 and to find out about the Koala Protection Act and the Australian Koala Foundation, visit www.savethekoala.com.

By Andrew VIVIAN