Helping koalas bear it

AFTER weeks of community feedback, Noosa Council has endorsed a 27-point action plan to better protect local koalas.
Mayor Tony Wellington thanked residents and wildlife groups for helping develop the Noosa Shire Koala Conservation Plan, which council is now rolling out.
Council is assisting with a koala health mapping project being run by scientists from the University of the Sunshine Coast. This important work is being funded in part by the Noosa Biosphere Reserve Foundation.
“This research will help us better understand the overall health of Noosa’s koala populations. We’re also talking with scientific experts from the Richard Branson Conservancy about using GPS tracking devices to monitor local koala movements. If we’re serious about helping the survival of our local koalas, then we need to understand much more about their health, whereabouts and threats,” Cr Wellington said.
“Council has included stronger tree protections in recent planning scheme amendments. We will also be looking at the effectiveness of our koala infrastructure such as roadside fences and underpasses,” Cr Wellington said.
Residents, wildlife groups and other stakeholders answered council’s call for feedback on a draft conservation plan last year.
Principal Environment Officer Peter Milne said council revised the plan to include that feedback.
“There were a lot of calls for greater wild dog control. We’ve included that in the action plan as wild dogs are one of the biggest threats koalas face,” he said.
Council received a wide range of suggestions during the public consultation process, from relocating koalas to preventing development in known koala areas.
Cr Wellington said council had to work within State Government legislation and guidelines, particularly with regards to development issues or translocating native animals.
“Thankfully the state is increasingly aware of the need to protect the future viability of this iconic species,” Cr Wellington said.
“We will be calling on the state to include Noosa when allocating the $12 million it recently announced for koala conservation efforts.
“I thank the community and local koala activists. Their input has been critical to developing this conservation plan. We all have to work together to ensure koalas remain an essential component of Noosa’s biodiversity.”