The Hon. Tanya Plibersek MP, Minister for the Environment and Water, The Hon. Shayne Neumann, Federal Member for Blair, Joint Media Release, 3 October 2023
The Albanese Labor Government is investing $2 million to better protect koalas in South-East Queensland.
This funding will expand, protect and improve 380 hectares of koala habitat – equivalent to 431 soccer fields.
The project being carried out in Grandchester and Flinders Peak will include activities like planting koala-friendly trees, removing weeds that prevent koalas moving between existing koala habitat and are a fire risk, reducing livestock grazing on habitat to facilitate natural regeneration, and protecting existing koala habitat through fire management.
The project will be delivered by Healthy Land and Water, and will support landholders to better protect koalas on their land.
This investment is part of the Government’s more than $76 million Saving Koalas Fund to better protect koalas and repair koala habitat.
Background
The Koala Habitat Restoration and Protection project will aim to improve the quality of habitat for koalas between the Grandchester and Flinders Peak Areas of Regional Koala Significance (ARKS) in South-East QLD.
Healthy Land and Water will partner with land managers, community and other key stakeholders to address threats to koalas, such as habitat loss, fragmentation and degradation and natural system modification. This will be achieved by delivering on-ground actions, including 70ha of revegetating koala habitat, improving quality of 240 ha of existing habitat through sustained weed control, managed grazing pressures across 20ha and implementing fire management actions across 50ha.
These actions will be supported by community engagement activities to improve land management practices to benefit koala habitat and the implementation of monitoring regimes to measure the impact of activities on koala populations and their habitat.
Quotes attributable to the Federal Minister for the Environment and Water Tanya Plibersek:
“No-one wants to imagine an Australia without koalas. The Albanese Labor Government is making sure our kids and grandkids will still be able to see koalas in the wild.
“Communities across Australia play a crucial role in protecting and conserving this beloved animal. This funding is about supporting local groups to do what they do best – getting communities involved in protecting this iconic species.
“Through our Saving Koalas Fund, we are investing in projects that will help koalas not only survive but thrive.”
Quotes attributable to the Federal Member for Blair Shayne Neumann:
“This $2 million in Australian Government funding will supercharge koala conservation efforts to care for koalas in south-east Queensland.
“It will create new habitat, improve habitat connectivity and make sure koalas have access to the trees that are already there by tackling invasive weeds like lantana.
“Koalas are incredibly important to our local community – these projects will carry out crucial conservation activities to support and conserve our local koala populations.
“We know that landholders care about the environment and koalas, and I am delighted that the Albanese Government is supporting our local landholders to help protect this Australian icon for future generations.”
