Go Greener

In this issue of Go Greener Year 10’s Bianca Rozsa from the Maailma Environment Committee writes about koalas now being listed as an endangered species.

Koalas listed as Endangered : a wake-up call for Australia

It was only 10 years ago, in 2012, that koala populations were listed as vulnerable under federal laws, but due to policy failures and mismanagement, koalas have seen a shockingly fast decline. On 12 February 2022, under Australia’s national environmental law, east coast koala populations in Queensland, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory have now been classified as Endangered – a devastating but crucial decision. This movement from Vulnerable to Endangered will hopefully provide koalas and their habitats with greater protection under national law and help reverse the decline of koala populations.

Although koalas will now see some additional protection measures, it still leaves most of the logging, land clearing, mining, and development projects unaffected. Already threatened by heat stress through drought and heatwaves caused by human-induced climate change, habitat devastation (land clearing, logging in native forests, and property developments) has drastically reduced the population of the iconic marsupial. Habitat loss has resulted in starvation (as they rely on trees to provide them with food and shelter), injury or death from not having an adequate shelter, and other dangers such as cars, dog attacks and swimming pools. It also creates more competition for food and territory because of overcrowding and impacts the koalas’ stress levels, making them more susceptible to disease.

The 2019 bushfires exemplify the impacts on habitat loss, as they affected 24% of koala habitat on public land, with around 81% of habitat being burnt. The fires resulted in koala deaths, injuries, heat stress, dehydration, reduced food supply, loss of habitat, and increased predation, to name a few! The fires led to the rescue and treatment of many koalas that had been burnt, left dehydrated and hungry. However, many koalas in the bushfire regions died, unable to escape. Already classified as vulnerable, more than 60,000 koalas were impacted – more than 41,000 koalas in South Australia’s Kangaroo Island, more than 11,000 in Victoria, nearly 8,000 in New South Wales, and almost 900 in Queensland.

Koalas moving from Vulnerable to Endangered has resulted in the Australian Government adopting a recovery plan – the Government and WWF have committed large sums of money to address the issue. Still, people remain doubtful about whether koalas’ habitats and lives will be prioritised and protected in the future. It is up to the New South Wales government to stop the destruction of koala habitat and native forest logging, expand the National Parks estate to protect koala habitat, and change the land clearing and spotter catcher laws for animal protection and conservation. Otherwise, koalas are predicted to be extinct by 2050.

Bianca Rozsa Year 10
Maailma Environment Committee