The Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment’s (DAWE) Threatened Species Scientific Committee (TSSC) is calling for public comment on both a national recovery plan and whether koalas’ threatened species protection status in NSW, Queensland and the ACT should be raised from ‘vulnerable’ to ‘endangered’.
Minister for the Environment, Sussan Ley said that following the 2019-20 summer bushfires she’d asked the TSSC to consider the koala’s threatened species status and to reconsider draft Recovery Plan documents in light of the bushfire impacts.
“The images of burnt, injured, dehydrated and frightened koalas suffering during the bushfires were haunting,” Ms Ley said.
“It has been critical that, as part of our $200 million wildlife and habitat bushfire response, we have had scientists assessing the best path forward for supporting the koala,” she said.
“That has included the need for threatened species experts to ensure any recovery plan for the koala considers the impact of the fires and the lessons learned for future action.”
Ms Ley said the TSSC’s proposed recovery plan outlined six key strategies, including building and sharing knowledge of the species; community engagement and partnerships; increasing habitat protection; the integration of koala conservation strategies into policy; strategic habitat restoration; and population management.
The Minister said feedback on the draft National Koala Recovery Plan was open until 24 September and to the draft Koala Listing Assessment and Conservation Advice until 30 July.
She said the TSSC was expected to provide its final advice on the listing assessment by 30 October.
Further information on the Committee’s Recovery Plan, including how to have a say, can be accessed at this PS News link.
