Every koala counts

RELATED COVERAGE: Are we still the koala capital?

Council’s customer and community relations manager Lisa Davis said the shire had built its tourism brand around the concept of the “Koala Capital of the World” after large koala colonies were identified in the late 1990s.

“Gunnedah has a long-standing association with koalas and specifically an interest in koala conservation and protection, with historical data indicating large populations of koalas living in and around the shire,” Mrs Davis said.

“The presence of koalas, particularly in the Gunnedah township, provided an opportunity for Gunnedah to build a strong basis for tourism with the development of the ‘Koala Capital of the World’ brand, which over the years has had national and international success.

“Recent research suggests that the local koala population is under stress with climate change, migration habits and bushfires in the region contributing to a possible reduction in numbers.”

Mrs Davis said by participating in the Koala Count campaign launced by the National Parks Association of NSW, people could help verify the status of the population and add to koala conservation research.

But Australian Koala Foundation chief executive officer Deborah Tabart warned the count did not go any real distance to assisting the koala.

“It is a lovely idea and it makes people feel good,” she said. “But it doesn’t stop trees coming down.”

To find out more about the Koala Count, visit www.koalacount.org.au