Southern Highlands Koala Conservation
- YEAR: 2015
- STATE: New South Wales/Victoria
- FOCUS AREAS: Saving Species/SDG 15: Life on Land
Twenty koalas were collared with GPS tracking devices in the Southern Highlands to learn more about where they live, their numbers, what trees they prefer to eat and shelter in, and their movements throughout the Southern Highlands shire corridors.
FNPW support
This project was funded through generous donations from FNPW supporters across Australia and beyond.
Project overview
The aim of the project is to provide a clear direction for the long-term conservation of koalas in the Southern Highlands that will be executed in three parts.
1. Locate koala populations and map key habitat and movement corridors throughout the Wingecarribee Shire, giving land managers the information they need to make land use decisions that ensure there is sufficient habitat for koalas to live, breed and move about as they have done for millennia.
2. Undertake site occupancy surveys and satellite collaring of 10-15 koalas in the local area, to tell us where koalas live and breed and how many there are.
3. Make a map of koala habitat and of the corridors that koalas use to move between colonies, which will in turn help guide land-use planning decisions and conservation investment so that the Southern Highlands will have a healthy, breeding population of koalas in 100 years.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY
FNPW supports projects across Australia. In the spirit of reconciliation we acknowledge the Traditional Owners of Country and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture.
PROGRESS OF THIS PROJECT
The project was completed in 2017.
This project was funded by FNPW in 2015.
PROJECT PARTNERS
National Parks & Wildlife Services (NPWS) NSW is the lead organisation for this project.
This project was supported through the NSW Office of Environment & Heritage.
Latest news on this project.
Project Report 2018
Twenty koalas were collared with GPS tracking devices in the Southern Highlands to learn more about where they live, their numbers, what trees they prefer to eat and shelter in, and their movements throughout the Southern Highlands shire corridors.
These koalas were successfully monitored for a period of up to 8 months. Data collected from visiting the koalas on the ground one to twice a week allowed development of a list of key tree species used by koalas in the Southern Highlands.
Path of a tracked Koala
From this we have increased the number of known trees favoured by koalas in the Southern Highlands by 50%. This is an important measure of success and has been used by OEH to inform submissions to the SEPP44 review by Department of Planning and to the statewide koala mapping project being developed under the NSW Koala Strategy.
Related Projects
FNPW Koala Projects
Koala Tree Planting
