Is Australia's iconic Koala at risk?
Photo © Wildlife Queensland

The Senate Standing Committee on Environment and Communications is holding an inquiry into the status, health and sustainability of Australia’s koala population.

It is a wide ranging inquiry with particular reference to 8 major topics including:

• Iconic status and history of management
• Estimates of populations
• Knowledge of habitat
• Threats to koala habitat
• The listing of the koala under the EPBC Act
• The adequacy of the national Koala Conservation and Management Strategy
• Appropriate future regulation for the protection of koala habitat
• Interaction of state and federal legislation

Wildlife Queensland will be making a submission based on our numerous submissions on the koala, its habitat and related matters in recent years. Issues raised will include that key habitat continues to be cleared and fragmented. Urban development is allowed to expand into known key habitat. Knowledge of the distribution of koala populations, their size and health status throughout the state is not known with any degree of certainty.  For decades the threats to koala populations in SEQ have been well established yet in spite of regulations and legislative powers, rarely or infrequently used, the population is crashing at an alarming rate.

The Government has committed funds to acquire habitat and funded much needed research in recent times - but is it too little too late? There is concern about the accuracy and scale of mapping and its relevance to site based decision making.  While the Vegetation Management Act has reduced broad scale clearing, the many exceptions permit ongoing fragmentation of significant areas of koala habitat. In spite of the efforts to ensure that koala friendly design is incorporated at the planning stage of new and upgrades of major roads the koala continues to be impacted. Climate change and the resultant ever increasing natural disasters will continue to be a major challenge for the survival of the koala.

Wildlife Queensland advocates:

• A thorough investigation of the status of koalas throughout their range is required so that it is known what has to be managed and the potential conservation status in the various localities.
• Baseline data is required so that impacts on their populations can be assessed.
• Reviews and monitoring must be implemented or continued, if in practice, to ensure the management strategies are effective.
• Mapping at appropriate scales of koala habitat is required where not available
• Appropriate management strategies for various habitats must be implemented
• Known threats such as dogs, traffic and disease must be addressed and mitigation measures employed to reduce impacts.
• Climate change must be incorporated into any management strategies.

Wildlife Queensland is not calling for an emotive listing of the conservation status of this species. It is well known that the population in SEQ is at high risk of extinction and there are reports of serious decline in populations in central Queensland. Wildlife Queensland will rely and accept the findings of the scientific expert panel evaluating the conservation status of the koala.

Submissions close on 8 February 2011.

Read the information about the Inquiry and how to make a submission.

Here is Wildlife Queensland's submission.

For more information on Wildlife Queensland's activities, call us on +61 7 3221 0194 or send us an email.