THE NSW Government has released its new Koala Strategy, aimed at more than 30 actions to conserve and grow koala populations.

Environment Minister James Griffin said the five-year plan is a comprehensive roadmap that will help deliver the NSW Government’s ambition to double the number of koalas.

“This $193.3 million NSW Koala Strategy is the biggest financial commitment by any government to secure the future of koalas in the wild,” Mr Griffin said.

“In fact, this is the largest investment in any single species in Australia, and demonstrates how committed we are to conservation and achieving our goal of doubling koala numbers by 2050.

“We know there are multiple threats to koalas, including loss and fragmentation of their habitat, compounded by the impact of the devastating 2019–20 bushfires, as well as vehicle strike and dog attack,” Mr Griffin said.

The Strategy focuses on conservation actions under four themes.

$107.1 million is set aside for koala habitat conservation, to fund the protection, restoration, and improved management of 47,000 hectares of koala habitat, $19.6 million for supporting local communities to conserve koalas, 23.2 million for improving the safety and health of koalas by removing threats, improving health and rehabilitation, and establishing a translocation program and $43.4 million to support science and research to build our knowledge of koalas.

“This strategy will better secure ten climate resilient koala stronghold locations from the Southern Tablelands to Campbelltown and Lismore, which will receive intensive action in the next five years to support the existing populations there,” Mr Griffin said.

“Some of these actions include preventing vehicle strikes and dog attacks, and restoring and protecting 47,000 additional hectares of habitat.”

A key part of the Koala Strategy involves establishing partnerships with conservation groups and communities which include partnering with Taronga Conservation Society Australia to restore more than 5,000 hectares of Box Gum grassy woodlands around the Western Slopes of the Great Dividing Range, partnering with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Australia to protect 500 hectares of high quality koala habitat on private land under conservation agreements across the Northern Rivers region through the Biodiversity Conservation Trust and working with volunteer wildlife rehabilitators, vets and other partner organisations to enhance coordination of emergency response for koalas and other wildlife due to bushfire or extreme weather events.

Mr Griffin said, “We all want to see koalas thrive in the wild for generations to come, and everyone, including land managers, local councils, wildlife carers, citizen scientists and the NSW Government needs to be involved”.

“Protecting and restoring habitat will also support other threatened and endangered species, such as powerful owls and glossy black cockatoos.”

Nature Conservation Council Chief Executive Chris Gambian said, “Minister Griffin has shown good leadership in releasing the NSW Koala Strategy.

“It’s time for the rest of the government to get behind him and sort out the land clearing rules.

“This strategy aims to protect 47,000 hectares of koala habitat over five years, while we’re currently losing 38,000 hectares of native vegetation each year to land clearing and logging. It’s a losing battle.

“The NSW Koala Strategy is welcome – particularly funds to purchase important koala habitat but the key habitats of the Mid North coast could be protected with the stroke of a pen,” Mr Gambian said.

“It’s time for the Great Koala National Park.”

The Koala Strategy can be found at environment.nsw.gov.au/koalas.

 

By Andrew VIVIAN