From The Far North Coaster online magazine on 18 August 2010 reporting as Tweed Shire Council prepares to undertake the first Koala Habitat Study since the mid-1990s:
The Tweed Coast Koala Advisory Group met for the first time last week and was presented with alarming results from a scientific study of local koala populations.
The group was formed to guide the development of a comprehensive Koala Plan of Management (CKPoM) to address growing concerns in the community and Tweed Shire Council about dwindling koala numbers.
The project aims to establish the current distribution, status and future prospects for koalas on the Tweed Coast and provide a CKPoM consistent with State Environmental Planning Policy (SEPP) 44 and state and national koala recovery plans.
Ecological consultant Dr Stephen Phillips from Biolink presented a progress report on a Tweed Coast Koala Habitat Study (commissioned by Council with funding support from the Department of Environment Climate Change and Water) which found that the range and numbers of koalas had declined substantially in recent years.
"All evidence points to a relatively recent escalation in the rate of range contraction and decrease in occupancy rate that now places the long-term viability of the Tweed Coast koalas in real jeopardy," Dr Phillips said.
He advised that the proposed CKPoM would need to 'actively and aggressively engage population protection, management and recovery as the security for the remaining source populations is vital'.......
Threats to Tweed Koalas
Apathy
Inappropriate urban development
Private forestry practices
Motor vehicle strike
Dogs in some areas
Fire – including hazard reduction burningThe bad news
Populations are now mostly gone from the north of the LGA, having either disappeared or largely declined from areas formerly supporting known populations eg. South Tweed/Fraser Drive, Chinderah and Kingscliff.
Population attrition is also evident in the south of the LGA (Wooyung).
Remaining Koalas on the Tweed coast are now mostly isolated from the rest of the LGA by the Yelgun to Chinderah motorway, where there is ongoing mortality despite ameliorative measures.
The Tweed Coast population probably consists of less than 500 animals, not taking into account losses which were likely sustained during the 2005/2006 fire at Round Mountain.The good news
Cessation of logging practices in places like Mebbin, Mooball & Mt. Jeurasalem (former State Forests, now National Parks) will likely provide for potential population increase.
There is good evidence that appropriate development can be effectively integrated with Koala habitat, eg. Koala Beach – shows how it can be done, but initial concepts can be improved (smaller building footprints/larger lot sizes, more internal greenspace).
