NSW Koala Strategy: Submission Guide 

NSW Koala Strategy: Submission Guide 

The NSW Government is conducting a review of the NSW Koala Strategy. We’ve created this submission guide to help you use this opportunity to help reverse the extinction crisis koalas are facing. 

The current NSW Koala Strategy is currently being reviewed, and the NSW Government is looking for gaps in their approach to protect and ensure the long-term survival of koalas in the wild. They are calling on the public to make submissions to the review, with a deadline of 24 May 2024.  

What is the NSW Koala Strategy?  

The NSW Koala Strategy outlines the actions the NSW Government will take to achieve their goal of doubling the number of koalas in NSW by 2050.  

The NSW Koala Strategy 2021 to 2026 was released as the first of an intended series of 5-year-strategies. It identifies targeted investment and action under four pillars: koala habitat conservation, supporting local communities to conserve koalas, improving the safety and health of koalas, and building our knowledge of koalas. 

Have your say  

The current review recognises that if we are to avoid predictions of koalas being extinction in NSW by 2050, more action is needed. The review provides an opportunity for the community to have their say on what more needs to be done. 

To see all the materials and find out how to make a submission on the NSW Koala Strategy visit the NSW Government’s website here. 

Keep reading below to see key points we recommend including in your submission. 

Submissions close on 24 May 2024.  

Make a Submission

What does HSI Australia think?  

A key gap in the current NSW Koala Strategy is the fact that it only provides guidance – it doesn’t actually mandate action to protect existing koala habitat.  

The NSW Koala Strategy must set clear goals for the protection of existing koala habitat at a scale that will halt and reverse koala population decline, and that goal must be enacted through legal measures that prevent the ongoing destruction of large areas of koala habitat. 

We’ve provided more information on what we think needs to change below. You can use these points to craft your submission. The more you use your own words, and add any local knowledge, the better! 

What does the NSW Government need to do? 

Better track progress towards the 2050 goal 

• Include targets that measure koala recovery (not just the actions being undertaken) in the revised Strategy and have clear triggers for action if these targets are not being met. 
• Develop a system for making koala data accessible in as close to real time as possible, including timely entry of koala rescue records into Bionet. 

Strengthen our nature laws and better protect habitat 

• Undertake a review of all relevant legislation that impacts on koala conservation to ensure a coordinated, whole of government approach to prevent the extinction of koalas in NSW. 
• Support the revised Strategy with changes to our nature and land management laws to better protect existing and future koala habitat on private and public land, including those areas that koalas will need as the environment changes in response to climate change. This should include removing provisions that allow unassessed koala habitat clearing based on codes or as ‘allowable activities’. 
• Reform the NSW biodiversity offsets program so that it is no longer driving biodiversity decline and ensure that biodiversity offsets are not permitted for core koala habitat. 
• End native forest logging and protect all koala habitat in State Forests. 

Give local government the tools they need  

• Urgently finalise the Koala State Environmental Planning Policy (SEPP) guideline to cover the full list of koala habitat trees in rural and urban land to support protection and mapping of corridors across local government areas. 
• Support local government to develop comprehensive Koala Plans of Management (KPoM) for entire council areas across all land tenures. 

Improve responses to all the key threats to koalas 

• Measures to help koalas deal with our changing climate, such as watering points and shade structures, need to be rolled out across NSW. 
• Implement science based solutions to avoid koalas being killed on our roads in vehicle strike hotspots, as quickly as possible. 
• Ensure hazard reduction burning practices better consider the impacts on wildlife, including koalas. 
• Better support the wildlife care sector to respond to emergencies impacting on koalas.
  
  

Make a Submission