Some of the most important koala populations in New South Wales live on the north coast, including around Lismore and Port Macquarie. Many other koala populations occur in the area, but they are small, fragmented and usually occur in or near urban areas.
The North Coast Koala Management Area (KMA 1) extends between Tweed Heads and Newcastle. Koala populations are located around Port Stephens, Port Macquarie, Coffs Harbour, Ballina, Lismore, Tweed Heads, Byron Bay, Bellingen, Nambucca, Kempsey, Richmond Valley, Clarence Valley and Taree.
Coastal koala populations in this KMA are well-studied, but hinterland populations in the escarpment forests, such as Nightcap and Mount Clunie national parks, are less well understood.
Image: Map showing the extent of the North Coast Koala Management Area (KMA),
with national parks, state forests, major waterways and roads.
Threats
Koalas and koala habitat in KMA 1 are threatened by:
- habitat clearing and fragmentation due to urban development, especially on fertile coastal flats, which is also prime land for cattle and crops
- lack of security of land tenure
- limited land available for revegetation
- vehicle strike and domestic dog attack
- diseases such as chlamydia and koala retrovirus
- competition from rainforest species into eucalypt-dominated koala habitat can smother mature eucalypts and inhibit growth of seedlings
- high-intensity fires cause koala mortality and temporarily eliminate food sources
- dense growth of weeds, such as lantana, which can inhibit koala movement
- dieback across a range of plant species due to climate changes, bell miners and insects
- potential negative impact of myrtle rust on eucalypts
- potential impact of sea level rise.
Restoration of habitat
Habitat restoration aims to reduce threats to koalas, increase habitat and help conserve koala populations.
Read our Koala habitat restoration guidelines (the Guidelines) for evidence-based recommendations and best-practice methods for restoring koala habitat.
Choosing an approach
Before you choose a restoration approach, such as natural regeneration, assisted regeneration, reintroductions or a combination of these, carefully assess your site and identify:
- which plant community you aim to reinstate
- whether the site has existing native vegetation on it. If native vegetation exists, try to facilitate natural regeneration before planting or direct seeding. The Guidelines have more information.
