Under the NSW Koala Strategy, $19.6 million is being invested over 5 years to support local communities to conserve koalas and fund partnerships.
Recognising the importance of collective action and local and cultural knowledge in koala conservation, the NSW Government will continue to build relationships with local councils, Local Land Services, land managers, koala rehabilitators, community organisations, local Aboriginal groups, communities, business and industry, and the research sector.
These partnerships will leverage local expertise and knowledge to prioritise investment and deliver coordinated strategic on-ground actions to protect koalas and their habitat. Partnerships will also be a vehicle for leveraging private sector investment in koala conservation.
Key investments and 2026 targets include:
- $15.7 million to deliver up to 8 regional partnerships
- $3.9 million to support more than 10 local councils to develop koala habitat maps.
Regional partnerships
The NSW Government will invest $15.7 million to deliver up to 8 regional koala conservation partnerships with councils, conservation groups, Aboriginal communities and other partners to ensure community expertise and knowledge inform on-ground actions.
Regional partnerships committed to in the Koala Strategy include the Northern Rivers, Port Macquarie, Northern Tablelands, Southern Highlands, Liverpool Plains and Southern Tablelands regions, as well as 2 Aboriginal partnerships.
Since the Koala Strategy was published in April 2022, additional Regional Koala Conservation Partnerships have been established in South-west Sydney and MidCoast.
Local council koala habitat maps
The NSW Government will invest $3.9 million to help local councils strategically conserve koala habitat in their local area by developing koala habitat maps.
This action will draw on expertise within Local Land Services and the Department of Planning and Environment to assist local councils in carrying out rigorous on-ground ecological assessments and appropriate community consultation.
Maps will be developed using the Koala Habitat Information Base, developed through the previous NSW Koala Strategy (2018–21).
Full information on actions and targets under Pillar 2 is provided in the NSW Koala Strategy.
Related news
Sally Miller, Regional Partnership Officer, and Kirrily Gould, Koala Officer, lead the delivery of koala conservation actions across the Southern Tablelands region under the NSW Koala Strategy.
Margot Law, Regional Partnership Officer, and Casey Taylor, Koala Officer, lead the delivery of koala conservation actions across the Southern Highlands region under the NSW Koala Strategy.
Reegan Walker, Regional Partnership Officer, and Caitlin Orr, Koala Officer, lead the delivery of koala conservation actions across the MidCoast and Port Stephens region under the NSW Koala Strategy.