With 36,000 koalas estimated to be left in NSW, the Wingecarribee research will help councils to protect koalas and assist with the development of the NSW Government’s Koala Strategy and Saving our Species (Koala Iconic Species) project.
Environment Minister Gabrielle Upton said this Saving our Species conservation project had now been extended into Wollondilly. Almost $100,000 from the NSW Government’s flagship $100 million Saving our Species program will fund the project extension for 100 koala spotlight surveys, up to eight GPA collars and koala habitat assessment.
“As part of the extended project six to eight koalas in Wollondilly will be fitted with a GPS collar for NSW Government ecologists and Wollondilly Council to track their movements and preferred food trees,” Ms Upton said.
“This project will also pinpoint the bushland corridors that koalas use to move across the landscape, creating a map to help guide future conservation efforts.”
Koala populations have declined in NSW by an estimated 26% over the past 15 to 21 years. Without active intervention, this level of decline is likely to continue.
Have your say on the NSW Government’s Koala Strategy and Saving our Species (Koala Iconic Species) project by 3 March 2017.
