The Coast Environmental Alliance (CEA) has welcomed a Federal Government decision to upgrade the status of koalas from vulnerable to endangered but spokesperson Jake Cassar said the group was keen to see what actions followed on from the decision.
Federal Minister for the Environment, Sussan Ley, revealed the status change last week in the wake of the announcement of a $50M koala conservation and protection package.
Cassar said CEA had been advocating for koalas to be listed as endangered for many years.
“It’s deeply distressing that it’s come to this, but gives some hope at the same time,” Cassar said.
“Of course the most important thing is how the Government takes real and tangible action on this.
“There are developments across the state that are destroying koala habitat, with the Government recently approving Lendlease’s plans to fragment Sydney’s only healthy and expanding Koala population at Campbelltown.
“Locally we have a proposed development at Kariong in an officially listed Area of Regional Koala Significance (ARKS).
“This development would see thousands of healthy koala habitat trees felled for only around 50 houses.
“So while I remain cautiously optimistic, I will be watching very closely to see what legislative framework is put in place to save these iconic little Aussie battlers before they are lost forever.”
Ley said the Government was taking unprecedented action to protect the koala, working with scientists, medical researchers, veterinarians, communities, states, local governments and Traditional Owners.
The decision to change the status of the koala followed a recommendation from the Threatened Species Scientific Committee and took into account the impact of koala populations of prolonged drought, followed by the black summer bushfires, and the cumulative impacts of disease, urbanisation and habitat loss over the past 20 years.
Member for Robertson, Lucy Wicks, said the $50M package would improve the health outcomes of the species, extend long-term monitoring, make funding available for local and community-led projects and restore and preserve critical habitat.
“This package is a fantastic opportunity for local organisations like the Aussie Ark (conservation arm for the Australian Reptile Park) and Walkabout Wildlife Sanctuary to apply for funding so they can establish or continue projects which aim to conserve and restore koala habitats,” Wicks said.
“Building on our $20,000 investment under the Communities Environment Program to investigate and research the Koalas population in Pearl Beach, measures under this package could also assist the Pearl Beach Arboretum to relocate koalas to the Pearl Beach area.
“The Government is investing in programs to train vets and vet nurses to treat koalas after extreme weather events, funding research to determine the genetic strength of various populations and investigating how unique DNA variants can provide resistance to diseases such as chlamydia.”
Aussie Ark president and General Manager of The Australian Reptile Park, Tim Faulkner, said he was excited by the announcement.
“The funding will prove valuable in providing a hope for a species that has seen much devastation, especially in the wake of the 2019/20 bushfire disaster,” Faulkner said.
“The investment, in particular to habitat restoration, will help expand on works already underway for Koala conservation that are helping to restore lost ecosystems, control feral predators and remove noxious weeds.”
The $50M package included: $20M for habitat protection projects; $10M for community-led initiatives; $10M to extend the National Koala Monitoring Program; $2M to improve koala health outcomes and $1M for koala care, treatment and triage.
It raised the Government’s commitment to koala conservation to almost $75M since 2019.
Terry Collins