Cold Country Koalas Project
Enhancing and protecting koala habitat
Local Land Services is partnering with Landcare to deliver funding under the NSW Koala Strategy to support the recovery of the endangered Koala populations located in the Southern Tablelands/Monaro.
The Monaro is home to a unique koala population, mainly located around the ARKS (Area of Regional Koala Significance) as per the map below. Historical and recent surveys have shown that this area’s koala population has a local and state-wide significance. Under the NSW Koala Strategy, the Southern Tablelands includes one of ten koala strongholds within NSW. It is vitally important for us to protect and enhance koala habitat through on-ground works and to conduct ongoing surveys to learn more about this population and how we can help them.
Caring for Cold Country Koalas
The Cold Country Koala habitat enhancement and survey project has already allowed over 30 landholders to protect and enhance koala habitat in South East NSW, around the Southern Tablelands ARKS (Area of Regional Koala Significance). This has involved livestock exclusion fencing and/or revegetation planting as well as pest animal and weed control works. The project has also included an audio ‘Koala Karaoke’ survey, which showed that the koala population in much of this area is going well despite being impacted by the 2019/2022 bushfires.
Koala Karaoke
Audio monitoring for koala presence is conducted with a small audio monitor that records the sound of the male koalas who are ‘singing’ (or bellowing) to attract a mate during the breeding season, which runs from around October to January in the South East.
The monitors are set to record from dusk to dawn for approximately 7-10 nights, with these recordings then computer-analysed to identify any koala calls. Landholders in appropriate areas may be able to participate in the Koala Karaoke program to find out more about koalas on their land.
There are also opportunities to explore cultural burning and to be involved in our Koala Karaoke audio monitoring program which will allow landholders to find out more about the koala population on their land.
Download:
- 2022-23 Cold Country Koala Karaoke Survey Report PDF, 1108.83 KB
- 2021 Cold Country Koala Karaoke Survey Report PDF, 1094.23 KB.
Project contacts
For further information on the Cold Country Koalas Project please contact:
Kirrily Gould, Land Services Officer
Mobile: 0429 692 550
Email: Kirrily.gould@lls.nsw.gov.au
Keeping Cold Country Koalas safe from pests
This video highlights the importance of controlling pest animals in order to keep our Cold Country Koalas safe, and to protect their habitat from damage caused by pest animals such as pigs, deer and goats. The video is produced in partnership with the Feral Scan and highlights how logging feral animal sightings is easy, quick and effective with the use of the Feral Scan app, which helps land management groups to coordinate control programs.
Find out more about natural resource management to protect our native animals.