Koala Conservation Receives $3.5 Million For Habitat Preservation

Reef Catchments, the Natural Resource Management organisation for the Mackay Whitsunday Isaac region, has been awarded $3.5 million from the Australian Government Saving Koalas Fund to expand and improve koala habitat in Sarina.

According to Reef Catchments Coordinator, Kira Andrews, “Our project provides meaningful support that enables the community to plant koala food and habitat trees for the creation of sustainable koala friendly corridors.”

The project also allows Sarina landholders to treat weeds such as lantana and guinea grass which pose a significant fire risk to koala habitat and choke out native trees.

“While there has been considerable attention and support for Southern Queensland koalas, this project represents the federal government’s first significant investment into koala conservation in the Mackay Whitsunday Isaac natural resource management area,” said Ms Andrews.

This investment was made possible by the commitment of the Sarina community to build and maintain connected landscapes to protect and conserve local koalas.

“We want to talk to local Sarina landholders who are interested in establishing koala habitat corridors across their properties,” Ms Andrews said.

“Reef Catchments is also looking for landholders who want help to manage weeds that are encroaching on nearby, established koala habitat.”

Charley Geddes, a local koala researcher based in Nebo, has identified over 400 koalas in and around Nebo. She has found koalas in all the places you would expect and many places you would not.

Charley says, "Every tree is important. Koalas only eat the leaves of a select few tree species - primarily eucalypts - so every single koala food and habitat tree that we can preserve, or plant is an opportunity to create a better future for koalas in our region."

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Photo credit: Charley Geddes