Sunshine Coast koalas will get a helping hand with a $440,161 funding boost from the Australian Government’s Saving Koala’s Fund.
Three projects will deliver koala conservation action in the Sunshine Coast hinterland by revegetating and restoring koala habitat and increased koala monitoring through motion and thermal cameras.
The funding will also support koala monitoring at the Australian Wildlife Conservancy’s Curramore Sanctuary near Maleny, and in the Mt Zero-Taravale region in North Queensland. This will help to confirm how many koalas are living in the wild in the region.
The three projects being funded are:
– $179,211 for habitat restoration and ecological research at Curramore and Mt Zero-Taravale, delivered by Australian Wildlife Conservancy.
– $165,950 for Hinterland Koala Habitat Project project delivered by Hinterland Bush Links.
– $95,000 for Sunshine Coast Hinterland Koala Habitat Restoration delivered by Ecollaboration.
Koalas are listed as endangered in Queensland, NSW and the ACT. This grant is part of $5 million awarded to local, community-led koala recovery projects in these states and territory.
Overall, the Australian Government is investing more than $76 million through the Saving Koalas Fund for the conservation and protection of the koala. This includes community grants, large-scale habitat restoration activities, monitoring and koala health initiatives.
Environment and Water MinisterTanya Plibersek said, “No-one wants to imagine an Australia without the koalas.“
“The Australian Government is ensuring that our kids and grandkids will still be able to see koalas in the wild.
“Communities across Australia play a crucial role in protecting and conserving this beloved animal. This funding is about supporting local groups to do what they do best – getting communities involved in protecting this iconic species.
“That’s why the Australian Government is investing a total of $5 million on local koala recovery projects, and a total of $76 million in our Saving Koalas Fund.
“I am committed to achieving our target of zero new extinctions in Australia – and of course this includes the koala.”
Senator Anthony Chisholm said, “Koalas are incredibly important to the local community – this project will work with local community groups to restore koala habitat.“
“These projects will plant thousands of koala habitat trees and remove invasive weeds like lantana that prevent koalas moving from one tree to another.
“I’m delighted these projects will support our local koalas to survive and thrive.”
