At the risk of venturing onto a minefield, this page will be devoted to the mixed array of articles, research, political announcements and commentary relating to koalas in Australia.

By gathering this material in one place, I hope that at least it will begin to demonstrate the complex nature of the issues involved and make readers consider statements more critically, especially statements by politicians and others with a financial interest.

It seems there is still much to be learnt about our koalas.   As time goes by, perhaps the range of verifiable facts will expand and so the right action to take to care for the koala species and the appropriate, balanced policy response will become clearer and more refined and any poor policy responses will be more open to challenge and correction.

As it is, it seems that the irresistible, innocent koala and people’s instinctive desire to see the species living well in the wild has become open to exploitation.

Certainly, the stories gathered here will show that there are many genuine people doing what they can to help koalas as carers, veterinarians, ecologists, spotters, land owners or managers, or by giving their time or money in other ways.   Those that have been quietly working for koalas for many years have been joined by more since the Threatened Species Scientific Committee recommended the ‘endangered’ listing in February 2022 for koalas in Queensland, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory and the prospect of extinction in our lifetime has been raised.

Also as you will see, Australian governments now speak in terms of millions, even billions of dollars, and millions of hectares of land for koalas and wildlife, with the koala as the icon. Some of this was previously productive agricultural land.

Yet there remains not a small amount of disagreement on fundamental facts – such as whether koala populations are in unnatural decline, and the role of forestry, land management and climate change in this.

So, as you follow the trail, you will see the assorted issues that make up what has become the complex political question of koalas in Australia including: the evidence base, policy implementation, the requirements of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth), research integrity, the cost/ benefit analysis, land management, control and use, the socialisation of property, and food security. More will surely become apparent.  

As always, if you have expert experience or knowledge in this field, your input – as balanced and unemotional as possible, preferably debating the points and not the people – is invited. If you know someone who should contribute to this debate, let them, or me, know.

TheEditor@ARR.News

Speakers:
– Professor Helene Marsh, Chair, Threatened Species Scientific Committee
– Cheyne Flanagan, Clinical Director, Port Macquarie Koala Hospital
– Vic Jurskis, Ecologist and author
– Peter Rutherford, Forest Scientist, Secretary, South East Timber Association