* Reviewing the Conservation Status of Koalas across NSW & Qld.

Much has been happened to koalas over the last few years, culminating in what could only be described as a catastrophic 2019/20 fire season. On behalf of the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) we recently completed a considered assessment of just how much habitat in NSW no longer contains koalas, how many have potentially been lost, from where and what the longer-term conservation implications are.

The task proved more challenging than we initially anticipated, but as part of this project we developed a dynamic, formula driven interface which enables adjustments to be made as more knowledge is acquired. Our report concludes that a change in the NSW conservation status of the koala from Vulnerable to Endangered is warranted and a nomination to have the species listed as such on an emergency basis is now underway.  

We recently completed a similar review for Queensland, this time on behalf of the World Wide Fund (WWF) for Nature. Depending on what the results of this assessment reveal, the basis for an national uplisting of the koala to endangered for purposes of the Commonwealth's EPBC Act might also be forthcoming.