Koalas fight for survival against urban development
Tue 28 November 2006
Gail Loader, Journalism
An Australian wildlife icon is losing its battle to compete against the growing urban sprawl that is occurring in south-east Queensland, Australia.
With the population tipped to reach 4 million by 2026, the resulting roads and property development may destroy the koala’s natural habitat.
The Moggill Koala Hospital (MKH) has noted a continued rise in koala deaths due to the shrinking ecosystem and the dangers of the encroaching human habitation.
The hospital was established in 1991 to care for the sick, injured and orphaned koalas of south-east Queensland.
From 1995 to 2001 the hospital records show a staggering rise of 74 per cent in the number of koalas admitted to the hospital to over 1400 annually.
Of the koalas admitted, 77 per cent are dead or die from their injuries or illness.
In the October/November period of 2002 the majority of koala deaths occurred from vehicle impact, with cars causing an average of 39 per cent of deaths in south-east Queensland.
However, many urbanised areas show a much higher percentage of motor vehicle caused koala death, including Brisbane City with 59 per cent (24 koalas) and Pine Rivers with 46 per cent (26 koalas) in the two month period.
Koalas are hit by motor vehicles as they cross roads in search of food or a mate.
The Queensland Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) states that the number of koalas killed by vehicles are often under-reported.
It is a common misconception that koalas live all over Australia, when in fact, they are only found in select areas along the east coast and southern Australia.
Former environment minister Desley Boyle found that the areas in which the MKH operates, especially Redlands and around Pine Rivers, are some of the most significant koala habitats in Australia.
The EPA says that the greatest threat to koala survival is the loss of its habitat.
“Some of the largest populations of koalas live in the south-east corner of Queensland, the most heavily urbanised region of the State where urban expansion and population growth is expected to continue.
“This urban growth means koala habitat is being cleared for houses, roads, industry and other development. Aside from the direct loss of habitat, urbanisation can also increase other threats facing koalas, being vehicle related mortality, dogs attacks and disease,” the Queensland EPA website reports.
Senior Lecturer in Natural Systems Management at University of Queensland, Dr Greg Baxter, believes that current coastal urbanisation will destroy the koala’s habitat.
“I don’t think there is anything that can save the coastal koala,” Dr Baxter said.
The rise in urbanisation has also increased the spread of disease as koalas are forced to share increasingly smaller habitat areas, Dr Baxter said.
Former Environment Minister Desley Boyle released a four-year, $A2.1 million dollar Koala Plan that was implemented in October 2006. It aims to ensure urban development is compatible with koala survival.
The Koala Plan addresses issues such as habitat protection and vegetation clearing, urban development, vehicle mortality, dog attacks, and the rehabilitation of sick, injured and orphaned koalas.
"Koala populations are dwindling and experts warn that unless urgent action is taken, this iconic species could become extinct from parts of South East Queensland,” Ms Boyle told the Australia Conservation Foundation website.
Dr Baxter says that the Koala Plan does not address the fundamental problems the koala is facing, which is the fragmentation or loss of their habitat.
“While koalas can travel fair distances, they can’t cross major highways or negotiate powerlines,” Dr Baxter said.
The Australian Koala Foundation (AKF) believes that “time is running out for wild koalas and their habitat.”
Koalas need large areas of healthy, safe and connected bushland in order to survive and this is under threat from development, logging and agriculture, the AKF says.
While Dr Baxter is excited about the University of Queensland’s scientific breakthrough of successfully artificially inseminating and breeding koala joeys, he doesn’t think it is the answer to the dwindling koala population of south-east Queensland.
“Once they’re born, where are they going to live?”, Dr Baxter said.
At the beginning of last century there were millions of koalas in the wild. Now there is only a fraction of that number left in Queensland, estimated to be between 100,000 and 300,000 and rapidly declining, the EPA reports.
There is only 20 per cent of the original eucalypt population left since European settlement of Australia and very little of that is protected, reports the Koala.com website.
For the koala, this means that 80 per cent of their home ranges have been destroyed.
Image(s) designed by morgue file and graph by Gail Loader
Enter comments about this article
Submitted Comments
we really need to think morea bout the damage we are doing with new developments and make sure that we cater for koala corridors with sufficient room and vegetation. also need to be aware of the surroundings, i.e. quiet streets and pet zones.
Bridge
cool! i learned alot about urban devolepment affecting koalas! great article!
michael
Hi, I really enjoyed reading this article and I hope someday someone can make a brighter future for these cute critters! Thank You
Lauren F
i really like this article,and i just love these little cute koalas. these poor guys have had some serious forest fires and are not doing too well. pretty soon these critters will run out of tree leaves to eat and die :( I really wish i could do something, but i live too far away. people should not let dogs off thier leash to let them run around.SAVE THE KOALA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
no name please
im doing a project on koalas habitats being destroyed in Queensland to make more buildings and houses and this site has helped me heaps. THE DESTROYING OF THERE HABITATS MUST STOP NOWWWW!!!!
stephanie
im doing a project on koalas habitats being destroyed in Queensland to make more buildings and houses and this site has helped me heaps. THE DESTROYING OF THERE HABITATS MUST STOP NOWWWW!!!!
stephanie
im doing a assignment at school about the freeway going threw red lands it will potentially threaten the koalas habbitat more
WE HAVE TO STOP
callum
I am doing an assighnment on two freeways cutting through both a koala habitat and parkland but they are thinking of cutting through the koala habitat because it is cheaper and they think will not have an affect on their way of life. But it says here that it cuts through their food supply.
natasha
koalas are adorable little creatures that couldn't hurt a fly and yet they are being killed so often by cars dogs and cats and disease. After looking at this site I realised how endangered these little marsupials are thank you.
liv