Priority Populations for the NSW Koala Strategy 2021-26

The NSW Koala Strategy identifies 50 koala populations in New South Wales based on the Areas of Regional Koala Significance (ARKS) identified by the NSW Government (DPIE 2020), noting that koalas are also found outside these areas. These 50 koala populations have been prioritised in 2 intervention categories:

populations for immediate investment populations with key knowledge gaps.

The nineteen populations for immediate investment are relatively large koala populations supported by good levels of knowledge but subject to significant threats. These populations have been prioritised for investment because we have a good understanding of their size and distribution, habitat values and the nature and intensity of threats. Through targeted investment and management, we can reduce the threats to these koala populations. Expert assessment of a range of criteria determined whether a population area would be prioritised for investment over the next five years. Many of the nineteen populations are likely to support a minimum of 1000 koalas, and in some cases, they likely support many more. Populations for immediate investment in most cases exactly match existing ARKS. In a few cases, the name of the ARKS has been amended for clarity, and the boundary of several ARKS has also been amended (see Table 1 in MS Word document). For the remaining 31 koala populations, we will address knowledge gaps through a baseline survey program to assess their population status, genetics, and health. Some information is known about these koala populations already, however, in many places there are gaps in our knowledge. Interventions to reduce threats, improve habitat and support population viability will be carried out once the status of koalas is known and key threats identified. It is likely that all koala populations will benefit from local, community- based actions, improved local planning processes and targeted research on the status of koalas and the distribution of habitat. In addition to the initial surveys, for some populations we will use ongoing monitoring to track population trends and measure the effectiveness of interventions. The intervention category of koala populations may change over time. Populations can move between categories as knowledge is improved, or populations are made more secure through strategic interventions. Reference: DPIE 2020, Framework for the spatial prioritisation of koala conservation actions in NSW: Saving our Species Iconic Koala Project