Koala mapping program

The EPA has completed a 3-year program that mapped koala habitat and occupancy in NSW native forests. The maps improve the identification of koalas and their habitat and will be used to inform new identification and protection requirements in native forestry areas.

About the program

The program aimed to provide a clear understanding of koala habitat identification and management needs in native forestry areas on public and private land in NSW.

The program comprised three core projects

a baseline map of koala occupancy to provide a more accurate picture of where koalas are located across NSW
a pilot project trialling three different mapping approaches to assess their suitability for managing koalas in state forests
a predictive koala habitat model which uses a range of environmental variables to produce a map of koala habitat on the north coast

The program was funded by a Waste and Environment Levy (WELE) grant, administered by the NSW Environmental Trust.

Results expand

The results of the koala mapping program have been used to inform the development of improved approaches to protecting koalas and their habitat during forestry operations. This has included new koala identification and protection requirements in the Coastal Integrated Forestry Operations Approvals (IFOA). The results of the koala mapping project will also be used to inform the future review of the Private Native Forestry Code of Practice (PNF Code).

Provisions for koala protection under the Coastal IFOA expand

The new Coastal IFOA ensures that rules for managing koala habitat are modern, fit-for-purpose and that protections are in place to manage the impacts of logging on important koala habitat across the landscape

The Coastal IFOA has moved away from record-triggered approaches to koala protection, which has been shown to have limitations, and instead identifies and protects places in the landscape where koalas are more likely to occur.

This approach is a more comprehensive, adequate and transparent way of protecting important koala habitat. It will mean that habitat will be identified and protected, irrespective of koala occupancy.

Protecting koalas during private native forestry operations expand

The PNF Code sets out the requirements for protecting koalas on private land. The mapping program addresses stakeholder concerns about the need to improve habitat management in private native forestry areas raised during the previous review of the Code of Practice.

The NSW Government has committed to reviewing the PNF Code after the remake of the coastal IFOAs. This will ensure that koala habitat management and protection under the Code are informed by the outcomes of this koala mapping program and the innovations in the new Coastal IFOA.

Development of NSW Koala Strategy expand

The results of the koala mapping program will form part of the state-wide koala habitat map being developed as part of the NSW Government's Koala Strategy.