After a yearlong inquiry into koala populations and habitat in New South Wales, Portfolio Committee No. 7 – Planning and Environment has tabled and published its final report. The committee made 42 recommendations and 16 findings, which are now with the NSW Government to review and respond to by the end of the year.
Given the devastating effects of 2019-2020 summer bushfires, one of the committee’s key findings was that koalas in NSW are on track to become extinct by 2050 without urgent government intervention. On what should be done, the committee urged the NSW Government to prioritise the protection of koala habitat and wildlife corridors in the midst of a warming climate. This recommendation was supported by a finding that habitat loss and fragmentation present the most significant threat to the survival of koalas in NSW.
So how many koalas live in the wild in New South Wales? The committee found that the current estimated number of 36,000 koalas in the State was outdated and unreliable, and sadly, the real figure is probably much lower. However, determining an accurate estimate of the koala population is particularly challenging, as koalas are not easy to spot! To help address this, the committee recommended that a panel of experts devise the best way to map koalas, and to consider emerging technologies such as drones to help locate koalas in fire grounds in need of rescue.
The committee travelled extensively across the State to hear from local communities, experts and stakeholders, about the multitude of issues that intersect with koala conservation. More than half of the hearings were held outside Parliament House, in community halls and centres across Ballina, Campbelltown, Gunnedah, Port Macquarie and Coffs Harbour.
The report is a hefty one with over 300 pages and we couldn’t possibly summarise it all in this short blog post. We recommend you check it out here and provide your thoughts in the comments section below.
On behalf of the committee, thank you to the thousands of inquiry participants who contributed to the committee’s important work of ensuring that the koala survives and thrives in the wild in NSW!