Future of koalas looking brighter

Another 3,157 hectares of high quality koala habitat has been secured for the State’s national park estate, helping to further safeguard koalas in NSW.

3 March 2023

 

MINISTER for Environment James Griffin said seven more properties spanning from near Tenterfield in the north, too near Cooma in the south have been protected in perpetuity.

 

“These seven properties cover more than 3,100 hectares and are dotted along the State’s eastern ‘koala belt’, with each one providing the right blend of eucalypts, terrain and climate to support koalas,” Mr Griffin said.

 

“As well as koalas, these national park additions will protect an incredible diversity of native wildlife, including more than 30 threatened species such as long-nosed potoroos, glossy-black cockatoos, greater gliders and powerful owls.

 

“The NSW Liberal and Nationals Government is delivering strong koala protections around the State through our more than $190 million NSW Koala Strategy, which is the single largest investment in a species by any government.

 

“Through the NSW Koala Strategy, we have specifically committed $107.1 million for the protection, restoration and management of more than 47,000 hectares of koala habitat to help double the number of koalas in our State by 2050.”

 

The latest 3,157 hectares of koala habitat is in addition to 7,608 hectares that has already been acquired as koala habitat for the national park estate, through the current and previous NSW Koala Strategy.

 

The seven new koala properties were selected for their evidence of koalas, habitat connectivity, appropriate terrain, tree species and climate.

 

From north to south, the new properties include:

 

1,280 hectares next to Captains Creek Nature Reserve, 59 km north-east of Tenterfield

 

388 hectares next to Mount Hyland Nature Reserve, south-west of Dorrigo

 

77.3 hectares of bushland next to Queens Lake Nature Reserve, around 20 km from Port Macquarie

 

380 hectares next to Morton National Park, 38km south-east of Goulburn

 

424 hectares next to Kybeyan Nature Reserve, around 35 km from Cooma

 

525 hectares between Wadbilliga and Kybeyan, 60 km east of Cooma

 

83 hectares connecting two areas of Dangelong Nature Reserve, about 25 km east of Cooma.

 

Since 2019, the NSW Liberal and Nationals Government has secured more than 600,000 hectares for addition to the national park estate to protect threatened habitats, wildlife and cultural heritage in perpetuity.

 

For more information about the NSW Koala Strategy visit koala.nsw.gov.au