Koala ‘misinformation’ cry as population counts soar
Australia’s koala population may be many times higher than previous estimates, prompting logging advocates to question the protection of native habitats.
New tools such as heat-detecting drones and acoustic recorders have uncovered another 244,000 furry marsupials nesting in trees across NSW.
This is a significant jump from previous figures, which showed the state’s koala population at between 15,000 and 30,000.
The updated estimate of 274,000, which emerged from the NSW government’s first comprehensive statewide survey, reflects more accurate monitoring efforts rather than an actual increase in the koala population.
The research involved more than 6,500km of nighttime drone flights and analysis of more than 400,000 hours of acoustic recordings of male koalas bellowing during the breeding season.
The figures follow national estimates released by the CSIRO’s national koala monitoring program in November, which put the Australia-wide population at between 729,000 and 918,000.
This baseline has increased from a forecast of 287,830 koalas nationwide in 2023 to 628,010 koalas.
But advocates say the high estimates do not indicate an increase in koala numbers.
“New approaches such as scanning with thermal drones and increased search efforts mean we are getting better at finding existing koalas,” said Tanya Pritchard from World Wildlife Fund Australia. he said.
“But make no mistake, koalas have suffered a massive decline.”
Renae Charalambous, from Humane World for Animals, said governments could not afford to relax their stance on koala protection.
“Protecting and connecting high-value habitat will provide koalas with the space and resilience they need to survive long-term,” he said.
Koalas were listed as endangered on Australia’s east coast in 2022, following reports that populations in Queensland, the ACT and NSW had declined by 57 per cent over two decades.
The NSW government unveiled plans for a proposed Great Koala National Park in the state’s north in September, fulfilling an election promise.
176,000 hectares of state forest will be reserved and linked with existing national parks to create a 476,000 hectare reserve to protect more than 12,000 koalas.
State National MP Michael Kemp, whose electorate of Oxley sits on the proposed parkland, said the proposal was based on a false premise and misinformation.
“Koalas thrive in managed forests and in all parts of Australia, and it’s time for the government to stop letting ideology and emotion dictate environmental policy and start leading with data, science and facts,” he told AAP.
Up to a quarter of the region’s sawmills have ceased operations due to a temporary moratorium following the state government’s park plans, much to the chagrin of the forestry industry.
Australian Forest Products Association NSW chief executive James Jooste questioned why koala population survey results were released 10 weeks after the park announcement.
“Why wasn’t such critical new data included in the decision?” he said.
“It should have been at the center of the environmental assessment of the park.”
NSW Environment Minister Penny Sharpe said the updated forecast would guide conservation decisions, but stressed koalas were still endangered and faced real threats.
“This study helps us target the right areas so future generations can continue to see koalas in the wild,” he said.
