There is no Sydney community less able to defend itself, or more in need of staying connected than Sydney’s Koala community right now, Total Environment Centre said today. Is there any space for Koalas in the Greater Sydney Commission’s new ‘Western City District Plan: Connecting Communities’ plan?

“The litmus test of whether the ‘Western City District Plan: Connecting Communities’ plan is more than just planning platitudes, will be revealed by how it addresses the strategic linkages necessary to ensure the survival of Sydney’s Koalas,” said Jeff Angel, Executive Director, TEC.

“The GSC claims a planning priority is ‘Protecting and enhancing bushland and biodiversity’ and ‘Increasing urban tree canopy cover and delivering Green Grid connections’ are all promising. But first it needs to stop current rampant development proposals.

Campbelltown Council recently released an independent study using scat findings to prove the importance of Mt Gilead for Koala east-west connectivity. It links the Georges and Nepean Rivers, a connection essential to the survival of a chlamydia free Koala population.

“Not only were previous studies for developers wrong about koalas (leading to rezoning for residential) but Lend Lease has offered wholly inadequate wildlife corridors and funding to widen Appin Road where koala deaths are frequent. The planning system has failed.”

“The new study recommends much larger corridors (425m wide) and road-impact mitigation measures - Council, the planning department and federal authorities must take this on board,” said Mr Angel.

For more info please contact Jeff Angel 0418 273 773 or Saul Deane 0292115022