A benign animal that is of no threat to humans, it is on the brink of extinction, with each of the states in which koalas are found (Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, ACT and South Australia) recognising that the greatest threat to its survival as a species is habitat loss. 

And yet, policies at every level of government disregard the vulnerability of its existence in expanding urban and peri-urban environments; in state forests, national parks and native forest plantations where the logging or clearing of old growth native trees is allowed.

Already protected under the Wildlife Act 1975, on 30 April 2012, then Environment Minister Tony Burke listed the combined Queensland, NSW and ACT koala populations as ‘vulnerable’ on the national list of threatened species.

Listed threatened species are recognised as a matter of national environmental significance. 

As revealed by ABC’s 7:30 Report on Monday July 22nd, 2013, and again on Tuesday october 29th, the logging of native forest, old growth or new, state forest or plantation, is severely detrimental to our diminishing koala populations.

The leading forestry company with plantations in south-west Victoria and South Australia, Australian Bluegum Plantations Pty Ltd, has admitted that thousands of koalas are dying each year on its plantations due to its practices.  Dead and injured koalas have multiple broken, mutilated or severed limbs, with live joeys still clinging to their dead mothers. 

Watch: http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2013/s3808542.htm and http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-10-28/koala-deaths-trigger-apology-from-timber-giant/5050784.

The logging of old growth native forests in New South Wales and Queensland, even with restrictions and selective harvesting, are equally devastating to local koala populations. 

Taking such trees for the purpose of wood chip is at too high a price for our wildlife.  Forestry is a marginal industry relative to tourism in terms of employment and revenue - it is barely financially viable - and yet the governments support forestry at the expense of our environment and tourism industry.

Our koala makes an incredible economic contribution to the Australian inbound tourism industry.  According to the NSW Department of Environment and Heritage, 

koalas directly benefit the Australian economy through the creation of over 9,000 jobs and contribute between $1.1 billion and $2.5 billion per year to tourism in Australia.

The evidence from KoalaTracker.com.au and other sources shows a rapid and extensive decrease in populations in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia, with extensive habitat loss isolating populations, forcing a decline in genetic health, and increased susceptibility to stress and disease. 

They are relocating to plantations in Victoria and South Australia due to loss of natural habitat to urban and plantation developments.

According to the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital, it takes 500 trees to feed one koala per year, due to the koala eating only the new leaf. 

We therefore call upon the Federal and State governments to make immediate changes to legislation to prohibit the logging of national parks; to prohibit the taking of old growth native trees from state forests; and to ban the logging of native forest, natural or plantation, for the purpose of wood chipping, or burning for biofuels.

We demand that strict policies, monitoring, enforcement and penalties be applied to the removal of any koala habitat by logging.