Friends of the Koala

MEDIA RELEASE

3 September 2007

Habitat destruction puts Koalas in peril

Koala habitat on the Northern Rivers is under constant pressure from authorised as well as unauthorised clearance. Concerned residents have little recourse but to report and speak out on unauthorised work.

Two incidents of koala habitat destruction were reported to Friends of the Koala during last week. One involved the felling of a eucalyptus windbreak on a macadamia plantation; the other, several koala food trees and understorey in preparatory clearance for a housing development.

The Koala is classified as vulnerable in New South Wales. Protective legislation, the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974 and the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 are in place to protect it. Both acts provide for licences and permits to harm native animals and to damage their habitat under certain circumstances. The koala is given special protection on private property under State Environmental Planning Policy No 44 – Koala Habitat Protection (SEPP 44)

“The first of these incidents was certainly unauthorised, the second appears to be in breach of a development application’s consent conditions and is still under investigation by Council,” said Friends of the Koala President, Lorraine Vass.

“Macadamia windbreaks are particularly precious to all wildlife. This one was used by several koalas. The sad fact is that those animals no longer have a home; they are displaced in a landscape dominated by a monoculture and busy roadways”, Mrs Vass said.

“We appreciate that orchardists have concerns about eucalypt windbreaks competing for water but there are alternatives to total razing. While some landowners are sympathetic, many are not and it is these landowners we implore to consider the consequences of their actions on koalas and other wildlife.”

“Destroying the habitat of a threatened species without the proper permits is breaking the law and fines can be severe”, she said.