“Koalas are in serious decline. The Australian Koala Foundation estimates that there are less than 80,000 koalas left and possibly as few as 43,000 nationally. It is suspected that only 200 koalas remain in the Tweed area,” said Deborah Tabart, Executive Director of the Australia Koala Foundation.
“Whilst we welcome initiatives to genuinely protect koalas, Tweed Council should not be building a sanctuary to convenience developers. We do not want to see these koalas rounded up and fenced into what is effectively a ‘zoo’. Their current natural habitat should be their sanctuary,” said NSW Greens Senate candidate Lee Rhiannon.
“Individual councils should not be the determining the future of koala populations,” said Ms Rhiannon. “To properly protect koalas, councils need resources supported by federal legislation, which they would have if koalas were protected by the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.”
“Greens Senator Bob Brown called for a national inquiry into koala population numbers, health and long-term management earlier this year – only to be knocked back by the Government.
“Despite 2010 being the International Year of Biodiversity, the NSW government is trying to destroy one of Australia’s critical koala habitats on the Far South Coast of NSW.
“The Murrah/Mumbulla area near Bermagui is confirmed as the last known koala population in the area, yet Forests NSW is determined to log there.
“The NSW government is prioritising the interests of the logging industry over the ongoing survival of koalas”
“The Greens will continue to push for a nationally co-ordinated approachto assessing and protecting koala populations,” said Ms Rhiannon.
Contact: Lee Rhiannon 0432 332 104
