Federal Environment Minister Burke will announce whether he will add Koala to the list of nationally threatened species on 17 February 2012, a mere six weeks away.

Friends of the Koala has written to Minister Burke urging him to ensure that the Commonwealth uses its power and influence to prevent further net loss and fragmentation of koala habitat by including Koala in the Vulnerable category of the list referred to in section 178 of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act).

We have told the Minister that the Northern Rivers Region’s coastal areas are amongst the fastest-growing in the nation and that this development is adversely impacting on koala numbers and their future viability. We have also pointed out that while there may be uncertainty about the informing data, anyone who has read the Senate Environment and Communications Committee’s report, The Koala – Saving Our National Icon knows that ample documentation exists of drastic ongoing population declines, local extinctions and even the likelihood of imminent regional extinctions in the northern parts of the koala’s geographic range.

We have shared with the Minister our concern that the Threatened Species Scientific Committee, being hamstrung by process and precedent, will again recommend to not amend the list of nationally threatened species and that it will settle for the lesser Conservation Dependent listing.

Please contact the Minister, telling him that the situation of our northern koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) clearly warrants a Vulnerable to extinction listing and calling on him to announce his decision accordingly.

The Hon Tony Burke MP

Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities

Suite M1

26 Parliament House

CANBERRA  ACT  2600

email: Tony.Burke.MP@environment.gov.au

Twitter: http://twitter.com/Tony_Burke

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