Koala funding inadequate to protect species from extinction

LEADING conservation organisation Friends of the Koala say despite funding the NSW Koala Strategy, the recent NSW State Budget did not go far enough to protect the species from extinction.

Friends of the Koala called for an annual investment of $500,000 for its Northern Rivers Koala Hospital and critical vaccination projects, $200,000 for koala rescue and rehabilitation teams, and a $750,000 capital investment to upgrade and extend its facilities.

However, the actual allocation fell significantly short of these requests. The organisation received just $110,000 in contributions to the Chlamydia Vaccination Program and the Koala Database from a total pool of $172 million in new funding and $190 million allocated for 2021-2026 under the NSW Koala Strategy.

Silva Everaers, general manager at Friends of the Koala, said the Northern Rivers Koala Hospital tended to more injured and orphaned koalas than any other facility on the East Coast.

“Research consistently shows that koala populations in the Northern Rivers are of state significance, and we are deeply concerned that funding delays will jeopardise our ability to continue our work effectively,” she said.

“The environment minister acknowledged that the NSW Koala Strategy needs review, we attended the NSW Koala Summit, and we responded to the discussion paper.

“Despite the public commitment, this budget failed to put words into action. This vital work cannot wait. The survival of our organisation and koalas depends on it. We had hoped for more immediate action.”

The not-for-profit body rescues 350 koalas a year. A team of 300 volunteers contributes 75,500 hours of unpaid work annually, equating to $3.5 million of service costs which allows the organisation to keep operating costs low and direct all revenue towards koala care and conservation. Alison Kelly, president of Friends of the Koala, said the organisation had worked tirelessly over four decades to rescue more than 6000 koalas and release more than 2000 back into the wild.

“We are frustrated that the budget did not acknowledge our efforts and those of the whole sector.

“We give the government and the people of NSW an army of passionate people working on Country who want to protect our wildlife for future generations. It’s time this is recognised, applauded and funded properly,” Ms Kelly said.

Community members seeking to support the conservation of the iconic koala can visit friendsofthekoala.org