NSW Office of Environment and Heritage to wrap up koala workshops

Gunnedah was among a number of towns to host a workshop as a result of the NSW Koala Strategy, which was released by the state government in May. 

The workshops aim to to get input from communities about what needs to be done for koalas in their regions.

At the Gunnedah workshop this month, participants shared their local knowledge about the challenges facing the koala populations in Gunnedah and surrounds.

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“The common themes include improving koala habitat connectivity, support for the rehabilitation sector, research and monitoring on koala populations and community engagement,” the OEH spokesperson said.

“A core pillar of the NSW Koala Strategy is to draw on local expertise and knowledge to identify potential local on-ground actions to protect koalas that can be delivered through community partnership.

“OEH appreciated the time and knowledge that local community members contributed to scoping the potential actions and we look forward to continuing this collaborative approach.”

The OEH spokesperson said the workshops would be wrapped up by December and the information would be used to “support priority on-ground actions and community partnerships at the local level”.

“The strategy commits $4 million Saving our Species investment to secure the koala in the wild and $1 million to fund on-ground actions,” the spokesperson said.

“OEH will allocate funding to priority actions to ensure we can achieve the best possible outcomes for koalas.”