The Northern Rivers Regional Koala Activity Assessment is one of the largest field-based koala monitoring programs undertaken in NSW. Working on behalf of the six Northern Rivers Councils, Biolink surveys koala populations across more than one million hectares spanning Tweed, Byron, Ballina, Lismore, Richmond Valley and Kyogle. The current assessment builds on earlier regional surveys and provides a powerful framework for detecting changes in koala populations over time.
Biolink undertook field surveys at 360 Permanent Monitoring Points, with additional Council data bringing the regional dataset to 377 sites. Sites extend across National Parks, State Forests, private properties, Council land, Indigenous-managed land and road reserves. The monitoring network uses a tenure-blind, grid-based design, with sites distributed at approximately five-kilometre intervals. This approach provides an unusually broad and unbiased picture of koala distribution across the regional landscape.
Using the Spot Assessment Technique (SAT), Biolink measures koala occupancy and activity and examines how these vary between landscapes, Local Government Areas and land tenures. We combine field results with statistical analysis and spatial modelling in ArcGIS to identify regional activity patterns, important population centres and potential landscape connections.
Importantly, the permanent monitoring network allows us to move beyond a snapshot of koala distribution. By comparing repeat surveys, we can assess temporal change in occupancy and activity, distinguish regional trends from local fluctuations, and identify emerging areas of concern. The program provides an evidence base for regional koala conservation planning and adaptive management. Its findings inform priorities for habitat protection and restoration, landscape connectivity, private-land conservation, threat management and future monitoring across the Northern Rivers.