Biolink is working with Ipswich City Council to update its Koala Conservation and Habitat Management Plan, creating an evidence-based strategy for the long-term conservation of koalas across the Ipswich LGA.
The project brings together several major streams of work. Biolink initially assessed the status and distribution of the local koala population and reviewed key threats to its persistence. We developed new Preferred Koala Habitat (PKH) mapping based on locally relevant koala food trees, vegetation communities and landscape characteristics and used landscape connectivity modelling to identify important habitat hubs, movement pathways and connectivity bottlenecks. Together, these analyses provide a strong scientific foundation for future koala conservation planning.
This work highlights the importance of looking beyond large habitat reserves. Small habitat patches, riparian corridors, paddock trees and fragmented rural landscapes can make disproportionately important contributions to koala persistence. Much of Ipswich’s Primary koala habitat also occurs on privately owned land, making rural land management and landholder engagement integral components of long-term conservation.
Biolink used these findings to develop strategic directions, priority landscapes, management actions and a long-term monitoring framework for Council. The project also identifies opportunities to strengthen habitat protection, maintain landscape connectivity, reduce koala mortality and better integrate koala conservation into future urban growth and land-use planning.