Member for Farrer and Federal Minister for the Environment Sussan Ley said local communities would have the opportunity to play a hands-on role in koala protection and recovery under new Koala Conservation and Protection Community Grants.

“The NSW Government makes its own decisions on where to best allocate and prioritise its funding,” Ms Ley said.

“There are a number of opportunities for the team at Narrandera’s Koala Reserve to seek financial support and I have actively encouraged them to do so.

“This includes the latest round of Koala Conservation and Protection Community Grants, which provides up to $200,000 to help improve local habitat, health and our knowledge of the local koala population.

“This is part of a $50 million package which has taken the Morrison Government’s overall spending to protect koala populations to more than $74 million.”

Earlier this month (April 4), Ms Ley released guidelines for the first round of grants supporting on-ground community projects and local activities that aid the protection and recovery of nationally listed Koala populations across Queensland, NSW and the Australian Capital Territory.

“This will be the first of two $5 million grant rounds to help give communities the tools they need to make a difference for local populations,” Ms Ley said.

“Individual grants of up to $200,000 will be made available to improve Koala habitat, health and our knowledge of populations.

“The funding is part of the $50 million Koala package announced in 2022, which has taken the Morrison Government’s overall spending on koalas to more than $74 million.”

Ms Ley encouraged people to look at the guidelines and prepare their ideas ahead of the grant round opening later this year.

Grant guidelines are available on the Australian Government’s Business Grants Hub website, with the first round anticipated to open in May 2022.

The guidelines highlight key goals:

• improve the extent, quality and connectivity of Koala habitat and reduce local threats

• increase understanding and management of disease and injury affecting Koala health and lift capability in on-ground care, treatment and triage of koalas and improve data and knowledge of Koala populations and health across their range, to support effective decision making and conservation action.

Locally known as Koala Reserve, Narrandera Nature Reserve is part of Murrumbidgee Valley National Park and supports a healthy population of koalas.

With no sightings in the Narrandera area for decades, koalas were re-introduced to the area in the early 1970s and have increased their population from 19 to more than 200 in that location.

The koalas have thrived at the reserve, which provides the animals with an abundance of River Red Gum leaves for their diet.

Narrandera’s koala colony could benefit from a share of $193.3 million in funding, which could potentially help increase the local koala population.

The NSW Government recently released its new Koala Strategy, backed by the funding and more than 30 actions to conserve and grow koala populations.

However, Australian Koala Foundation chief executive officer Deborah Tabart believes the funding had already been announced last year.

“It just reeks of an election promise,” she said.

“I’ve been in this job for 30 years and have seen this in every election cycle and the money never materialises.”

Ms Tabart also questioned how the actions from the strategy would be implemented.

“Reading between the lines I’m confident they don’t have an overall strategy,” she said.

“Where are the staff and the people who will ensure this strategy is carried out? They’re making it look as if they care about koala conservation in certain electorates.

“The bottom line is that the Federal and NSW Governments should be walking in tandem with this.”

A Department of Planning and Environment spokesperson said only the total funding amount of $193.3 million had been made public prior to the NSW Koala Strategy release date in April.

“This $193.3 million NSW Koala Strategy is the biggest financial commitment by any government to secure koalas in the wild,” the spokesperson said.

“The NSW Koala Strategy focuses on more than 30 conservation actions under four themes.

“It is committing:

• $107.1 million for koala habitat conservation, to fund the protection, restoration and improved management of 47,000 hectares of koala habitat
• $19.6 million to supporting local communities to conserve koalas
• $23.2 million for improving the safety and health of koalas by removing threats, improving health and rehabilitation, and establishing a translocation program $43.4 million to support science and research to build our knowledge of koalas.

“The Narrandera koala population is identified in the NSW Koala Strategy as a priority population for filling key knowledge gaps and delivering local actions, meaning it will benefit from the funding mentioned above.

“The Department of Planning and Environment is currently finalising the local action plans and will share details once these are in place.”

There is another option for local groups to play their part in koala conservation and gain some more funding to help them.

A key part of the Koala Strategy involves establishing partnerships with conservation groups and communities.

This article appeared in the Narrandera Argus, 5 May 2022.

Related stories: Increased protection for koalas: Ley; NSW releases Australia’s largest investment in koalas: Griffin.