Australian Government promises $50 million to save koalas while simultaneously clearing their habitat

February 9, 2022

Environment / Government /

With 2022 being an election year, the Federal Government announced last month their commitment of $50 million towards restoring koala habitat, monitoring populations and researching the animals’ health, however new research by the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) reveals the Federal Government has approved the clearing of more than 25,000 hectares – the equivalent of 500,000 average house blocks – of koala habitat since the species was declared ‘vulnerable’ to extinction ten years ago.

61% of the koala habitat approved to be cleared under the federal environment law was for mining, 12% was for land transport and 11% was for residential housing projects.

The ACF highlight that this is just the tip of the iceberg -the actual habitat cleared is many times greater as clearing for agriculture is rarely assessed under the national environment law and native forest logging is exempt from these laws altogether.

Previous research by ACF showed the size of koala habitat actually cleared in a five-year period was almost 95% greater than the size that was approved.

The NSW government wants to double the number of koalas in their state by 2050 and as such has pledged $193 million over five years in the current budget. This followed the $44.7 million of koala funding it announced in 2018. This is in addition to the millions of dollars in international and national community donations for koala conservation efforts after the Black Summer bushfires.

But the primary driver of koala population decline is the clearing of its habitat. No amount of money can save koalas unless this is immediately stopped.

ACF Nature Campaign Manager Basha Stasak comments “The federal government has just promised $50 million for koalas, but at the same time it continues to knowingly approve the clearing of koala habitat for mines, roads and housing estates.

“The amount of koala habitat approved for clearing has increased every year since 2012.”

The Threatened Species Scientific Committee, which advises the federal government, has recommended the status of koalas in Queensland, New South Wales and the ACT be upgraded from vulnerable to endangered. Federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley is expected to respond to the recommendation by next month. Listing the koala as endangered would be a serious escalation in its threat status.

Stasak advises “the first thing federal and state governments should do for koalas is immediately stop approving the destruction of their homes for commercial projects.

“Australia’s national environment laws are so weak they have done little to stem the ongoing destruction of koala habitat – especially in Queensland and NSW – since the species was declared vulnerable a decade ago.

“Koalas are in strife. An assessment has been conducted to determine whether the species’ conservation status should be changed from vulnerable to endangered, but that assessment has not been released and a national recovery plan for the species is long overdue.

“We call on Minister Ley to immediately release this assessment and act of its findings.

“If we want our grandchildren to see koalas in the wild, governments must stop approving the bulldozing of their homes for mines and new housing estates.

“Government must introduce strong national environmental laws and an independent regulator to enforce them. The extinction of koalas is entirely avoidable if we protect the habitat they need to survive.”

This ACF research is part of a wider investigation that will be finalised soon.

20th January 2022 - Port Macquarie community welcomes land purchase for koala conservation

30th December 2021 - Koala habitat planted in Blue Mountains’ Yellow Rock

29th August 2021 - Major expansion begins on Brisbane’s Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary

4th May 2021 - Moggill Koala Rehabilitation Centre reopens following major upgrades

25th March 2021 - Koala safety shield trialled to reduce Queensland wildlife road toll

22nd February 2021 - Queensland Government continues to fund koala conservation efforts

29th January 2021 - Aussie Ark spots first Koala Joey in Barrington Wildlife Sanctuary

31st December 2020 - Sustainability grant helps fund new koala habitat in Greater Geelong

2nd October 2020 - UNSW Law academic shares the implications of new environmental laws for koala survival

30th September 2020 - Zoos Victoria and RSPCA Victoria collaborate to build new koala hospital

26th August 2020 - The Environmental Defenders Office identifies NSW law failures to protect koalas

1st July 2020 - Inquiry finds koalas on track to extinction in NSW before 2050 without intervention

8th May 2020 - Byron Shire Council looks to local farmers to create new koala habitats

22nd April 2020 - Blue Mountains Koala rescue program to benefit from WIRES and Landcare funding

9th January 2020 - Aussie Ark secures wild protected sanctuary for koalas

8th December 2019 - Queensland Government announces new plans to protect koalas

26th February 2019 - NSW Government to boost Koala population and improve national park access

11th December 2018 - Improved mapping leads to better outcomes for koala habitat

7th September 2018 - Land clearance to cause Koala extinction in NSW by 2050

18th July 2018 - Gold Coast City Council looks to boost local koala habitat

7th May 2018 - NSW Government announces koala reserves in attempt to reverse declining populations

13th May 2012 - Federal funding for protection of NSW koalas

30th April 2012 - Koalas to be listed as threatened amid rapid decline

28th September 2011 - Koala inquiry calls for vulnerable status

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