koala

In this article Robert Onfray details the lack of environmental scrutiny of the wind factories and pumped hydro projects built or planned in Queensland as the state sanctions the wholesale clearing of remnant native forest on the coastal ranges straddling the Great Dividing Range ... 10,178 hectares of koala and 6,744 hectares of greater glider habitats are set to disappear if all the renewable proposals in Queensland are approved ... "blunt force trauma" is to be used to euthanise injured animals or those that cannot be relocated, particularly koalas.

Over a hundred people gathered at the Narrandera Flora and Fauna Reserve recently to attend the annual Koala Count event ... "These magnificent creatures have since spread far and wide, and the community are determined to uncover the full extent of their reach. It is reported that 25 koalas were counted this year, with five of them accompanied by their adorable little joeys, bringing the total tally to 30."

The $2m 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.  

The Clarence Valley timber industry is still uncertain how many jobs could be lost due to the suspension of logging in the proposed Great Koala National Park as the NSW Government assesses the impact on the endangered marsupials and timber industry jobs ... “They still haven’t actually said what the areas are that they are going to not harvest in and where the actual koala hubs are, so it’s really hard to work out what the ramifications are going to be”: Donna Layton, Marshall Notaras Hardwoods GM and VP of Timber NSW.

The Minns Government’s proposed Great Koala National Park is not an extinction panacea for koalas, says the President of Forestry Australia, Dr Michelle Freeman ... "it is simplistic to suggest that locking away forests is the great panacea for saving koalas from extinction ... In fact, experience shows us that declaring a National Park does not equal koala population growth."  

Vic Jurskis. Koala plagues and megafires go together. Koalas are breeding faster than ever on all the soft young growth generated by Black Summer. The scrub development is unprecedented. Our next extreme fire season will kill more people and animals than ever before. But the koala is in no danger of extinction.

The NSW Government has announced the process to establish the Great Koala National Park, as well as a halt to timber harvesting operations in the 106 koala hubs within the area being assessed for the park ... ARR.News asked some questions of the Minister about koala surveys and research indicating that properly conducted forestry does not adversely impact koala numbers. A departmental spokesperson responded.

Chlamydia is a significant and widespread threat to the koala, impacting their reproductive health and causing infertility. This project will trial a new vaccine implant which would allow for koalas to receive their ‘booster’ dose of vaccine via the implant.

Sunshine Coast Council’s Environment and Liveability Portfolio Councillor Maria Suarez thanked the photographer for reporting the koala sighting at Palmview Forest through the Queensland Government’s QWildlife app and is calling on others to do the same. “There are some amazing images of Sunshine Coast koalas being uploaded to QWildlife”: Councillor Maria Suarez.