Photo © Doreen PayneQueensland’s Faunal Emblem and National Icon – the Koala – is in a desperate situation.
The recent Australian Senate Inquiry into the status, health and sustainability of Australia’s koala population accepted evidence that not only had the Southeast Queensland Koala populations declined to the extent that they met the IUCN criteria for listing as 'Critically Endangered', but also Western and Central Queensland Koalas had experienced catastrophic collapses of even greater magnitude.
In mid February, Commonwealth Environment Minister (Tony Burke) declared his intention to list the Koala on the National Threatened Species List under the provisions of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act: 'The (Threatened Species Scientific) Committee has found that the national koala population is variable, with koalas abundant in some areas such as South Australia and declining in other areas such as Queensland and NSW. ..... There is a strong case that a nationally threatened species listing is required for koalas in areas where numbers have been under greatest threat.'
It is largely the collapse of the Queensland populations that led to the Senate report (unanimously adopted by the Senate committee – with membership comprised of Australian Greens, ALP, LP and NP Senators) powerfully urging EPBC listing, the subsequent recommendation by the Minister’s Threatened Species Scientific Committee that Northern Koalas (in NSW and QLD) now met the threshold for listing and the Minister’s announcement on 16 February of his intention to list them.
As well as the now accepted need for the Koala to be listed under Commonwealth legislation, a group of experienced Koala ecologists nominated the species for listing as ‘Endangered Wildlife’ in coastal Southeast Queensland under Queensland’s Nature Conservation Act in 2010 – a separate but compatible nomination was made by the Australian Koala Foundation at about the same time. Apart from acknowledgement that the nomination had been received, there has since been a deafening silence from Queensland authorities. In light of the new information presented in evidence to the Senate inquiry and recent publications in the scientific literature, earlier this month a group of concerned scientists with a combined experience of over 100 years studying Koalas submitted a new nomination for Koalas to be listed as ‘Endangered Wildlife’ throughout Queensland, not just coastal SEQ.
Wildlife Queensland calls upon both Anna Bligh and Campbell Newman to immediately give a ‘core’ promise that should their respective parties be elected to form government next weekend:
- They will maintain the current government’s policy commitment to achieve a net increase in mature or regenerating Koala habitat in Southeast Queensland by 2020.
- As a matter of urgency, based on scientific evidence, list the Koala as Endangered under Queensland’s Nature Conservation Act. Koalas don’t have time on their side to wait for the Commonwealth Government to finally get its act together.
Location |
Past threats |
Current threats |
Future threats |
Current management instruments |
SEQ
Koala Coast |
Cars, Dogs, Development, Disease |
Cars, Dogs, Development, Disease |
Cars, Dogs, Development, Disease |
Koala Plan
SPRP / SPP
‘Vulnerable Wildlife’ |
SEQ
Other Eastern LGAs |
Cars, Dogs, Development, Disease |
Cars, Dogs, Development, Disease |
Cars, Dogs, Development, Disease |
Koala Plan
SPRP / SPP
‘Vulnerable Wildlife’ |
SEQ Elsewhere |
Cars, Dogs, Development, Disease |
Cars, Dogs, Development, Disease |
Cars, Dogs, Development, Disease |
Koala Plan
‘Vulnerable Wildlife’ |
Central Queensland |
Drought, habitat clearing, infrastructure (road, rail and development), agriculture |
Resource extraction (including loss of Nature Refuges), drought, infrastructure (road, rail and development), agriculture |
Resource extraction, drought, habitat clearing, infrastructure (road, rail and development), agriculture |
None – currently ‘Least Concern Wildlife’ –protection will be required when listed as ‘Endangered Wildlife’ |
Mulgalands |
Drought, agricultural clearing |
Drought, land use practices |
Climate change, land use practices |
None – currently ‘Least Concern Wildlife’ –protection will be required when listed as ‘Endangered Wildlife’ |
North Central Coast |
Land clearing, road accidents |
Road accidents, fragmented populations susceptible to stochastic events |
Loss of genetic diversity, subject to very low population numbers and local extinction, road accidents |
None – currently ‘Least Concern Wildlife’ –protection will be required when listed as ‘Endangered Wildlife’ |
Inland North |
Drought, habitat clearing |
Resource extraction (clearing and associated infrastructure including roads, rail), climate change |
Resource extraction (clearing and associated infrastructure including roads, rail), climate change |
None – currently ‘Least Concern Wildlife’ –protection will be required when listed as ‘Endangered Wildlife’ |
Central Queensland Islands (natural) |
Drought, alienation from source populations (mainland) |
Drought, alienation from source populations (mainland), fire |
Drought, cyclones, alienation from source populations (mainland), fire |
None – currently ‘Least Concern Wildlife’ – protection will be required when listed as ‘Endangered Wildlife’ |
For more information on Wildlife Queensland's activities, call us on +61 7 3221 0194 or send us an email. |
