The Koala war must stop!

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The Sydney Basin Bioregion was once home to many healthy Koala populations – but now just five colonies are left and heading for extinction. This is due to the massive 19/20 bushfires, ongoing mining, logging and urban development. From the western edge of Sydney, spreading outwards north, south and west – there are still little-known, but irreplaceable Koala colonies. Now officially classified as “endangered” under state and federal legislation, they are facing extinction in a few decades – unless we act! 

In the past 20 years, Koalas have declined in the Sydney Basin Bioregion by an estimated 22%. Protection of remaining habitat, including near urban areas, in proposed urban expansion sites, and on public, leased and private lands - is critical. Our latest research, State of Koalas in the Sydney Basin, First Annual Assessment (SBKN 2024), shows an overall continuing downwards trend of the extent, occupancy, and generational persistence of koalas in the Sydney Basin Bioregion from 2021-2023. The need for stronger environment laws that protect occupied and connected koala habitat is urgent.

A Recent Yougov polling found:

84% of NSW residents want koala habitat protected from development

- 91% support the creation of a koala green belt around Sydney.  

Our urban and regional areas must marshal all available legal, financial, community and scientific resources to protect their habitat and linking corridors on public and private lands, so Koalas can survive. We have called for an urgent rescue plan from land clearing, urban sprawl and roadkills, for the endangered Koala colonies of the Sydney Basin, at a meeting with Judith Hannan MP, President of the Parliamentary Friends of the Koalas, and need your help to increase the pressure.

Our Campaign Goals: Protect the 5 Remaining Colonies

The Sydney Basin contains seven areas of koala significance (ARKS) which face multiple threats, but only five of those have surviving colonies. We will be focusing our efforts on protecting these 5 remaining colonies:

  • Campbelltown/Wollondilly/Liverpool/Sutherland
  • Southern Tablelands/Wingecarribee
  • Hawkesbury
  • Hunter Valley/Lake Macquarie/Cessnock
  • Blue Mountains

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Sydney Basin Koala Rescue

Why is there a focus on koalas in South West Sydney and Hawkesbury?

The Koala colonies in South West Sydney (Campbelltown/Wollondilly/Liverpool/Sutherland) and Hawkesbury are the only populations in the Sydney Basin that are steady or recovering. Currently, they are being seriously affected by poor development decisions displacing Koalas and pushing them onto the roads. Appin Road in South West Sydney has seen Koala deaths nearly double since 2022. Alarmingly an increase in female and joey deaths correlate with displacement from development. This is having a significant impact on this important chlamydia free population. They cannot, over time, sustain this level of population decline.

Our Urgent Koala Protection Plan

There is a chance to turn their fate around and create immediate impact to stop the decline of koala populations in particular across the Sydney Basin: 

1. Sutherland Shire, Hills Shire, Penrith and Camden LGAs must have Koala habitat legally recognised urgently

There are many koalas in the Sydney Basin with no protection from development as their habitat is not recognised in a legal framework. The Sutherland Shire is recognised as being in an Area of Regional Koala Significance (ARKS) with a Koala population also impacted by many deaths on Heathcote Road. Despite evidence of hundreds of Koalas in the area, Sutherland LGA is not listed in the Biodiversity SEPP that recognises Koala Habitat. Likewise, the Blue Mountains population is expanding into Penrith LGA (Bionet 2024), and the Hawkesbury population into the Hills Shire LGA (Bionet 2024). Koalas displaced by development in Campbelltown are also turning up in Camden LGA (Bionet 2024). 

2. The lack of a consistent definition of Koala habitat across LGAs is resulting in the vast majority of councils with Koalas not taking action.

We need to apply a scientifically robust definition of Koala habitat to legal frameworks and apply this to all LGAs with Koala sightings so all councils can quickly proceed with habitat mapping and Comprehensive Koala Plans of Management. Only two of the 23 LGAs in the Sydney Basin with Koala SEPPs have a Comprehensive Koala Plan of Management. The remaining 21 LGAs, plus those with koalas that are not listed in any SEPP, are vulnerable to a myriad of development threat.

3.  Protect and restore Mallaty Creek habitat corridor for Koalas

Mallaty Creek is currently a connected, intact, and active East West Koala Corridor but the government plans to terminate by fencing it off to koalas, and by design other wildlife as part of urban development plans.  We also need an additional wildlife crossing on Appin Road to mitigate the unprecedented amounts of roadkill on Appin Road, and as previously advised by Koala experts.

4. Apply the Chief Scientist corridor advice for Campbelltown and Macathur across the Sydney Basin

It is important that the South-West is connected with the North West, and the North-West is connected to the lower Hunter and zone corridors as C2 to prevent fragmentation.

5. Scrap the unscientific Rural Boundary Clearing Code to prevent fragmentation of habitat.

The Local Land Services Act need to be reformed urgently, ending code based clearing and removing the outdated 1990 regrowth rule. 

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Sydney Basin Koala Policy

Our Sydney Basin Koala Policy remains unchanged with the above urgent additions, outlining the steps needed to halt their trajectory from endangered to extinct.  The Sydney Basin Koala Policy uses the best science and is intended to close the litany of loopholes in the law governing development, that is pushing the Koala towards extinction. Until we can stop the clearing of habitat and allow the colonies to stabilise and expand, it will be death by a thousand cuts. We’ve outlined a 5-point policy to halt the trajectory of koalas from endangered to extinct. You can now read our full policy here

1. Protection of existing habitat, including a Koala Greenbelt around towns and cities

2. Maintaining, expanding and restoring linking corridors

3. Removing planning law loopholes that allow development to proceed

4. Avoiding vehicle, dog and fire threats, eg by fencing corridors and building underpasses

5. Continue scientific research that leads to practical solutions

How we are continuously fighting for Sydney Basin's Koalas

Total Environment Centre has been campaigning for the protection of the Koala for many years. Our campaign ramped up with Save Sydney's Koalas, focused on the healthy, but threatened Macarthur colony on the western edge of Sydney; and recently with the development of the Sydney Basin Koala Network, which aims to protect and expand Koala populations across the larger Sydney Basin Bioregion. We are now focused on protecting those five important colonies. 

 

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