Koalas living on New South Wales’ far south coast are at serious risk of local extinction with just a single wildfire sufficient to wipe them out, according to the National Parks Association of NSW (NPA).
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NPA Science Officer Dr Oisín Sweeney said: “Because their population is so small and localised, one major fire could be the final nail in the coffin for the south coast koalas. With an El Niño predicted for eastern Australia this year, the chance of this occurring has greatly increased.”
In an effort to save the region’s dwindling koala population, the NPA has developed a strategic proposal to relink the forests of the south coast. The proposed Great Southern Koala Forest would connect the south coast’s remnant koala population with larger ones in Shoalhaven and the Southern Tablelands, including a significant population 700 strong in Cooma-Monaro.
“Koalas were once common between Bega and Narooma, but survival of the current population, estimated at only 70-80 animals, is precarious and warrants strategic management,” said Kim Taysom, Vice-President of NPA Far South Coast Branch.
However, the NSW Forestry Corporation believes that its practices can continue to support koala populations in the long term.
Speaking to the News Weekly, the corporation’s Operations Planning Manager, Justin Williams, said that a combination of forest fires in the Bega Valley in the 1980s and changes in land use over the past 20 - 30 years have contributed to low koala populations, suggesting that land managed “off-forest” may have had a greater impact than current forestry operations. Mr Williams referred to the corporation’s Koala Code of Practice which sets out procedures for forest harvesting in NSW.
Mr Taysom said the NPA is currently working on a report that will call for a review of native forest management in NSW, arguing that the native forest industry has declined sharply in terms of its importance to the regional economy. Log production in the Eden Management area dropped by 36 per cent between 2007-2013, whilst woodchipping is in decline.
“With the current Regional Forest Agreement due to terminate in 2017, other more economically viable and environmentally sustainable options for these forests should be considered, said Mr Taysom.
“This is not a zero sum game”, he added, “Forests will still need to be managed, there will still need to be people on the ground.”
