The Port Stephens Koala population is one of the last important populations in the Hunter region. While occasional Koalas are encountered elsewhere, such as in the Cessnock area and Watagan Mountains, the population of koalas from Tomaree, Raymond Terrace and out to Clarence Town are likely to be the last viable population in the region. Historically, foreshore vegetation around Lake Macquarie would have supported Koalas, however the last verified observation was at Wangi Wangi in the late 1980s. We have to be careful not to follow the same fate in Port Stephens.
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I remember only around 15 years ago the koala death toll in Port Stephens was around 70 koalas per year, while now that figure has declined to around 20. This is not because people are becoming better drivers or that we are protecting more habitat, it is more a symptom of there being less koalas around. Over the past 15 years, large areas of important koala habitat have been removed for industrial and residential developments which have often disrupted koala movement corridors. Our research over the past three years has even shown decreased detection of koalas in a wide range of ‘reliable’ locations. I think we are at a crossroads where as a society, we have to make a tough decision; to have a local koala population or to let it become functionally extinct over the next decade. If you think that the Port Stephens Koala population is something we should value and attempt to maintain into the future, there are a number of things you can do. These include:
- Writing to the state environment minister and Premier asking them what they are doing to address the koala decline at Port Stephens.
- At home, plant a swamp mahogany, tallowwood or forest red gum in your garden which might serve as a koala food trees.
- Slow down at dusk, dawn and at night to 60kmh or less if you are travelling on roads that traverse bushland.
- Report all koala sightings to the Hunter Koala Preservation Society.
Dr Chris McLean is a wildlife ecologist with a particular interest in marsupials, including squirrel gliders, spotted-tailed quolls and koalas and has undertaken research on the Port Stephens koala population since 2013. He has worked across a wide range of roles including academic researcher, ecological consultant, government technical policy adviser and Landcare Coordinator.
