9/28/2023 0 Comments Koala habitat![]() In September 2003, the Australian Koala Foundation and other Koala scientists were invited to make submissions to the Queensland Government and the Scientific Advisory Committee concerning the current status of Koalas in Queensland. He indicated that the Koala was expected to be scheduled in this new class of protected wildlife. In May 1998, the Queensland Premier advised the AKF that it was proposed to add a class of wildlife called “management dependent wildlife” to the Nature Conservation Act 1992. History With a change of government, in August 1996, the g overnment of the day advised the AKF in writing that it intended to upgrade the Koala’s listing to ‘Vulnerable’ by the end of 1996. The Koalas in Queensland are listed as ‘ENDANGERED ’ under the EPBC Act. Local government is where most day to day decisions are made about what happens to Koala habitat but where there is often the least amount of resources and expertise in wildlife management or habitat assessment. Then t he S tates often pass principal responsibility to local government and then in AKF’s view, the biodiversity of Australia is just extinguished. The AKF believes that the Federal Government is abrogating it’s res ponsibility for protection of Koala habitat to the S tates. There are four states where Koalas occur in the wild – Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia – and each state has its own legislation (see below). That is why the AKF wants a Koala Protection Act. It is the AKF’ view that is no legislation that effectively and/or consistently protects Koala habitat anywhere within Australia, not necessarily because the legislation does not exist, but because there is not always the political will to adequately resource, implement, police and enforce such legislation. You can see how we determined those figures here. The Australian Koala Foundation estimates that there are less than 57,920 Koalas left in the wild, possibly as few as 32,065. Koalas are in serious decline suffering from the effects of habitat destruction, domestic dog attacks, bushfires and road accidents. Research conducted by the AKF strongly suggests the Koala’s conservation status should be upgraded to “ CRITICALLY ENDANGERED” in the South East Queensland Bioregion as the Queensland Minister for the Environment has declared them to be “functionally extinct”. ![]() The AKF believes that the Koala should have been listed in all States. In February 2022 the Koala was listed as ‘ ENDANGERED‘ in QLD, NSW and ACT under the EPBC Act. Victoria and South Australia were excluded from the listing. In April 2012, the Australian Government declared the Koala as ‘ VULNERABLE’ under the Federal EPBC Act in NSW, the ACT and QLD. Join the Koala Army. The Australian Koala Foundation is committed to the introduction of the Koala Protection Act to provide real legislative protection for koalas, and we need your help. Speak to your federal member. The Government needs to hear your story to convince them to protect Koalas and their habitat. Write letters to the editor of your local and national newspapers. Often they will have an environmental reporter who may be interested in the plight of your Koalas. Below we have listed some of the things that might make a difference. By the time you read this page the bulldozers may already be working, but it is not too late to take action. This is supposed to be the premier law for protecting Australia’s environment, yet it is powerless. ![]() If it did work, how come the listing got worse. Now in 2022 the Koala was listed as “Endangered” under the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act and the law is not fit for purpose. ![]() The listing of the Koala as “vulnerable” under the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act in 2012 changed nothing and did not cover Koalas in Victoria nor in South Australia. There is currently no legislation, anywhere in the country, that can protect Koalas and Koala habitat in Australia. ![]()
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