Have your say: Lodge a submission now to help halt the extinction of Koalas in NSW.

Make your submission now!

I am writing to provide feedback in response to the current public consultation and review of the NSW Koala Strategy. I am very concerned and deeply troubled that without immediate and significant action, Koalas will face extinction in this state within our lifetimes.  
 
The objective to double the Koala population in NSW by 2050 is not acceptable as a target without a serious legislative agenda to change planning and environment laws and to end native forest logging in this state immediately. Targets and goals for population numbers are a dangerous simplification of the task of species recovery and irrelevant when habitat destruction and degradation is continuing to occur. 
 
This review, 4 years after the Legislative Council delivered its report on the dire future of Koalas in NSW, must be something that produces much more than what was necessary in 2020. Delay and distraction by the former Government and the continuation of habitat destruction has meant that Koalas are in a much more perilous state than even a few years ago. This review must recommend bold and decisive action that puts habitat at the critical core of protecting Koalas from extinction. 
 
All credible independent research shows that our Koalas are in a state of precipitous decline, and local extinctions are mounting overwhelmingly due to the loss of habitat. The pathway to turn this around is an immediate end to native forest logging in NSW once and for all.

1. Amend planning and environment laws to prohibit clearing of Koala habitat 
 
The Ken Henry review of Biodiversity Laws in NSW has laid bare the reality of the planning system in this state. Planning pathways that allow clearing of threatened species and their habitat, including through the use of offsets, are facilitating environmental destruction and driving the extinction crisis in NSW. 
 
The clearing of Koala habitat through planning approvals and development pathways is directly contributing to the decline of Koalas that will result in their extinction. The only way to resolve the inconsistency between protecting threatened species and the clearing of their habitat is to amend the laws that allow this to occur.  
 
It is now time, before it is too late, to end discretionary decision making that continues the known phenomena of ‘death by a thousand cuts’ and place prohibitions on the destruction of Koala habitat.

2. Immediately end native forest logging and expand and regenerate native forests 
 
Native forest logging is the single largest driver of extinction for Koalas and other forest dependent species. The logging of native forests fragments habitat, increases fire risk and isolates populations to the point where they are no longer viable. 
 
All native forest logging in NSW should be ended immediately and all public forests must be the subject of active regeneration to restore the health and ecological integrity of the environment. 
 
Public native forests should be set on the pathway to be included in the protected area network and managed in a nature positive and environment first framework. 
 
The entire footprint of the Great Koala National Park, that is currently under consideration, should be gazetted immediately and all other high quality areas of public native forest that have Koala habitat should be gazetted as National Parks also.  
 
 
3. Create a comprehensive network of habitat corridors for Koalas and other native species 
 
Isolated populations of animals are at the highest risk of decline and extinction. Sudden environmental changes, predation by invasive species, climate impacts and limited genetic diversity are all significant threats to declining populations. This is why corridors for escape and safe movement must be considered and implemented across all landscapes. 
 
Koalas, and other territorial native species, will inevitably face circumstances that necessitate movement between areas as food sources and population gradients demand. The impacts of vehicle collisions and encounters with domestic and other non-native species can be mitigated by dedicated and protected corridors between critical areas of habitat. 
 
Corridors are particularly critical as the impacts of climate change are increasingly noticeable and leading to disruptive weather patterns and extreme events like floods and fires. The movement of entire populations of species like the Koala will occur with increasing frequency and will be impossible unless habitat corridors are prioritised in the short and medium term by Governments. 
 
 
4. Comprehensive and adequate invasive species control across all tenures 
 
Non-native, invasive or feral animals must be managed actively using all available mechanisms to reduce their spread and impact. These management actions must be applied equally, professionally and humanely across all land tenures to ensure that invasive species are not contributing to the extinction of Koalas and other native species. 
 
Domestic cats and dogs, and cats that have become feral, must be controlled and contained in ways that they do not pose a risk to Koalas and other native species. These control actions should include duties for owners and other responsible people to not allow their animal outside without monitoring and without a leash. Councils and other authorities should be given the tools and powers to ensure domestic animals are not threatening Koalas and other native species. 
 
Cats that are not under the control of a person, or that are not registered to an owner, should be considered an invasive pest species in the same manner we consider foxes and other highly predatory invasive species. These invasive pest species are driving the extinction of many native species, including Koalas. 
 
Thank you for  reading my submission. I am hopeful that this Government will finally take commensurate action with the problem we are facing and amend our planning and environment laws and end native forest logging in NSW. We must save our Koalas from extinction, and without these actions, all other political changes will be nothing short of failure. Koalas are facing extinction as part of the broader extinction crisis upon us, like any crisis it requires courage to take bold and strong action.

I would like to BCC myself

Have your say: Lodge a submission now to help halt the extinction of Koalas in NSW.

Koalas in NSW are in serious danger. In 2020, an upper-house inquiry uncovered shocking findings: without serious further action, Koalas in NSW will be extinct in the wild by 2050.

We cannot let this happen.

The NSW Minns Labor Government was elected on the promise to do more for Koalas. However, they are not taking the serious action required to reverse the extinction trajectory our precious Koalas are on. They have now been in power for over a year and they are still allowing the destruction of Koala habitat for development and they are still logging Koala habitat across our precious public forest estate.

They have committed to reviewing the NSW Koala Strategy. Following the release of a discussion paper, the review is now taking submissions from the community. This is an opportunity to lay out clearly what is needed to turn the fate of Koalas around from the dark awful path to extinction to the difficult but positive path to recovery. Together we can try to shape the future of Koala conservation and create meaningful policy.

We know what we need to do to give our iconic Koalas the best chance of surviving in this State. First and foremost, we must stop destroying Koala habitat. We must protect the areas where Koalas are now and expand and connect their habitat around where Koala populations are, so they can recover and expand too.

In order to achieve this we must:

Amend planning and environmental laws to prohibit the clearing of Koala habitat, including prohibiting the use of offsets to justify the destruction of Koala habitat for development
Immediately end native forest logging and implement plans to protect, regenerate and expand our protected area network
Create a comprehensive network of corridors based on the needs of Koalas and other wildlife and considering the impacts of climate change

Invest in comprehensive and adequate invasive species control across all tenures

Without bold urgent action, not only will we lose our iconic Koala, but their extinction, as an umbrella species, will mean catastrophic outcomes for many other native species too.

The Greens have a plan for the protection of Koalas, and with your help, we can ensure that genuine policy outcomes are achieved and our Koalas given the protection they so desperately need.

Extinction is forever - there is no going back once these animals are gone. We can not let that happen. The time to act is now!

Have your say: Lodge a submission now to help halt the extinction of Koalas in NSW.

Make your submission now!

Have your say: Lodge a submission now to help halt the extinction of Koalas in NSW.

Without bold urgent action, not only will we lose our iconic Koala, but their extinction, as an umbrella species, will mean catastrophic outcomes for many other native species too.

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