Media Release
“Dave Scotts Report to Conserve Koala Populations of Upper Mid North Coast NSW”
For Interview: Dave Scotts: 0266 562938
Ashley Love: 0428699339
Inquiries: 0409996423
Presentation: Cavanbah Centre Main Room: 11.30am Saturday 16th March 2013
On Saturday the 16th March at the Cavanbah Centre Coffs Harbour at 11.30am the North Coast Environment Council is hosting a gathering where the Mayor of Bellingen, Mark Troy and Mayor of Coffs Harbour Denise Knight, will receive a presentation of “Dave Scott’s Report to Conserve Koala Populations of Upper Mid North Coast NSW 2012”
This is an exciting regional project where coastal communities and Environmental groups have made a long term commitment to keep on working with local ecologists and local Councils, sharing information to build up a bank of knowledge about iconic creatures our Koalas and their habitat.
The report authored by Dave Scotts, respected Fauna Ecologist, came about in response to growing community, government and academic concern about the long term conservation of the Koala at all scales of consideration. Further documented evidence came to light last year about the decline in health and welfare of Koalas (Australian Museum Study Dec 2012)There was growing anecdotal evidence from local people reporting injury and illness and from WIRES who reported that a small percentage of injured or ill Koalas were ever returned to the wild.
There are three large colonies on the Mid North East Coast and the report includes information about Koalas across our region, in the Clarence to the North and Nambucca Heads to the South. Developing coastal communities are seeing numbers of displaced, injured and ill Koalas on the fringes of their towns. Koalas are also being displaced by large tracts of industrial logging as their numbers continue to decrease.
The report recognises that Koalas to do not recognise Shire boundaries or Park and Plantation boundaries, and that there was an urgent need for more detailed information aboutpopulation and welfare. The report was funded and coordinated by the following coalition of community based, environmental organisations: Bellingen Environment Centre, Clarence Environment Centre, Nambucca Valley Conservation Council, the North Coast Environment Council and the National Parks Association of Coffs Harbour and Bellingen.
The Coffs Harbour and the Bellingen Shire have large sections of State and National Forested lands. In Section 2 of the report, “The Koala: Aspects of ecology relevant to this project”reported that, “The extent to which public lands support and foster ongoing Koala populations remains to be investigated and quantified”.
Koala Conservation is part of both the Bellingen and Coffs Harbour Council Strategic Planning.
We thank Dave Scott, for his work in the production of this report. Appreciation expressed for the valuable input from all of the groups mentioned and sincere thanks to qualified,fauna ecologists from both of our Shires who have contributed so generously to the production of this study about Koala Population and welfare.
Acknowledgement also for the major contribution made to this work by Bellingen Council, Coffs Harbour Council, OEH and the NPWS for their contribution and support. Thanks to the response from local communities across the region for their strong support for the protection of the Koala.
