The National koala population saw a concerning decrease last summer as bushfires ravaged bushlands all over the country. The koala population in New South Wales was one of the worst-hit koala areas in the country, with at least 5,000 dying as a result of the fires.
The New South Wales Government has established a plan to help double the koala population in the state by 2050. The key strategy they have assigned to the plan is expanding the size of their national parks.
It is estimated that the koala population has shrunk to about 15,000. With such a low number, experts are concerned that the species are creeping closer to extinction.
The Government’s plan has local farmers concerned, as the expansion of national parks will increase the number of feral pests putting a further strain on farming in the area.
Earlier in the year, the State Government called for a cull on pests in NSW to protect the native wildlife and farmer’s livestock. The cull, in particular, targeted the overwhelming numbers of wild deer, dogs, and foxes in the area.
NSW Environment Minister Matt Kean has assured worried farmers that further culls have been planned, as the risks these pests pose on koalas is fairly substantial. Feral dogs, in particular, will be targeted, he said, the Government will be investing a lot into the project, and thousands of hours will be allocated to removing these pests.
Further concerns have been raised about the decreasing koala population by the NSW Farmers Association. Member Bronwyn Petrie has acknowledged the Government’s success in targeted culls but says that other measures should be implemented to further protect the koala population.
Ms Petrie has suggested that the State Government should look to reduce the urban sprawl which sees housing impacting on koala habitat rather than expanding the size of national parks. She further believes that hazard reduction burning or ‘mosaic burning’ should be increased in the area too.
It was reported that many volunteer firefighters in the area throughout last summer’s devastating season had recalled witnessing koalas unable to escape bushfires due to the intensity of flames, of which this burning could help to relieve.
Ms Petrie has called for a different approach that also suggests paying farmers to protect koala populations.
The Nature Conservation Council is supportive of the State Government’s pledge, endorsing the need for the koala population to be protected. The council has also suggested that land clearing should be stopped on both private and public properties to aid the habitats of the native wildlife.
