The Far West and South-west Koala Management Area (KMA 7) extends west from the Hay, Ivanhoe and Wilcannia districts to encompass the western-most part of New South Wales. Most of this region is unsuitable for koalas.
Koala populations that do exist in the far west are small, scattered, low-density and mostly restricted to riparian zones and floodplains. A population is known to live in the Murray Valley National Park in the Riverina, and historical records exist for koalas around Wilcannia and Ivanhoe.
Map showing the extent of the Far West and South West Koala Management Area (KMA), with national parks, state forests, major waterways and roads.
Threats
The most likely threats to the little-studied koala populations and their habitat in KMA 7 are:
- climate change, drought and heatwaves that lead to dehydration, heat stress and increased vulnerability to disease and death
- tree die-back and changes in leaf chemistry linked to climate change
- vehicle strike
- habitat clearing and fragmentation
- almost complete lack of information on koala distribution, abundance, tree use and threats across this KMA.
Restoration of habitat
Habitat restoration aims to reduce threats to koalas, increase habitat and help conserve koala populations.
Read our Koala habitat restoration guidelines (the guidelines) for evidence-based recommendations and best-practice methods for restoring koala habitat.
Choosing an approach
Before you choose a restoration approach, such as natural regeneration, assisted regeneration, reintroductions or a combination of these, carefully assess your site and identify:
- which plant community you aim to reinstate
- whether the site has existing native vegetation on it. If native vegetation exists, try to facilitate natural regeneration before planting or direct seeding. The guidelines have more information.
Plant spacing
Plant spacing can vary depending on the vegetation community you aim to establish (for example, woodland, open forest). Trees should be planted far enough apart to have good tree form or lateral branches.
Some tips for planting:
- Plant a mixture of trees and shrubs about 6 metres apart, 7 metres between rows (200 stems/hectare).
- Spacing for groundcover varies and can be anywhere from one to 6 plants per square metre.
- Plant near waterways as koala populations in this KMA are almost entirely restricted to riparian zones.
Trees koalas prefer
Koalas use a broad range of tree species for food, shelter, rest and socialising.
Koalas usually feed within trees of the Eucalyptus genus, but they use many non-eucalypt species for shelter and sometimes feed on trees from genera such as:
- Lophostemon – swamp box, swamp turpentine
- Melaleuca – paperbark/tea tree
- Acacia – wattle
- Allocasuarina – she oak
- Callitris – conifer/cypress.
We recommend you plant a range of high-, significant- and occasional-use tree species from our recommended tree species list.
Not all species will be relevant for all sites.
When you choose trees to plant, consider whether:
- species are locally native
- species are suitable for your site in terms of landscape position, such as near a creek, on a slope or ridge
- you have chosen a mix of species that koalas will use for food, shelter and social activities
- you have included shrubs and groundcover species as well as tree species.
Tree species lists
These tree lists contain recommended tree species for koala habitat within KMA 7. The lists align with local government areas located within this KMA:
Central and Southern Tablelands
- Albury City
Far West
- Balranald
- Broken Hill
- Central Darling
- Greater Hume Shire
- Lockhart
- Unincorporated
- Wentworth
Far West and Riverina
- Federation
- Hay
Riverina
- Berrigan
- Edward River
- Murray River
- Murrumbidgee
High preferred use
- White box (Eucalyptus albens)
- Cabbage gum (Eucalyptus amplifolia)
- Blakeley’s red gum (Eucalyptus blakelyi)
- River red gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis)
- Monkey gum (Eucalyptus cypellocarpa)
- Brittle gum (Eucalyptus mannifera)
- Grey gum (Eucalyptus punctata)
- Forest red gum (Eucalyptus tereticornis)
- Ribbon gum (Eucalyptus viminalis)
High use
- White stringybark (Eucalyptus globoidea)
- Inland scribbly gum (Eucalyptus rossii)
- Hard-leaved scribbly gum (Eucalyptus sclerophylla)
Significant use
- Blue-leaved stringybark (Eucalyptus agglomerata)
- Coast grey box (Eucalyptus bosistoana)
- Apple box (Eucalyptus bridgesiana)
- Fuzzy box (Eucalyptus conica)
- Mountain gum (Eucalyptus dalrympleana)
- Tumbledown red gum (Eucalyptus dealbata)
- Broad-leaved peppermint (Eucalyptus dives)
- River peppermint (Eucalyptus elata)
- Narrow-leaved or thin-leaved stringybark (Eucalyptus eugenioides)
- Broad-leaved red ironbark (Eucalyptus fibrosa)
- Bundy (Eucalyptus goniocalyx)
- Red stringybark (Eucalyptus macrorhyncha)
- Maiden’s blue gum (Eucalyptus maidenii)
- Yellow box (Eucalyptus melliodora)
- Western grey box (Eucalyptus microcarpa)
- Large-flowered bundy (Eucalyptus nortonii)
- Messmate (Eucalyptus obliqua)
- Stringybark (Eucalyptus oblonga)
- Grey ironbark (Eucalyptus paniculata)
- White Sally or snow gum (Eucalyptus pauciflora)
- Sydney peppermint (Eucalyptus piperita)
- Red box (Eucalyptus polyanthemos)
- White-topped box (Eucalyptus quadrangulata)
- Narrow-leaved peppermint (Eucalyptus radiata)
- Candlebark (Eucalyptus rubida)
- Mugga ironbark (Eucalyptus sideroxylon)
- Silvertop ash (Eucalyptus sieberi)
High preferred use
- River red gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis)
High use
- White box (Eucalyptus albens)
- Blakely’s red gum (Eucalyptus blakelyi)
- Coolibah (Eucalyptus coolabah)
- Tumbledown red gum (Eucalyptus dealbata)
- Black box (Eucalyptus largiflorens)
- Bimble box (Eucalyptus populnea)
Significant use
- White cypress pine (Callitris glaucophylla)
- Silver-leaved ironbark (Eucalyptus melanophloia)
- Yellow box (Eucalyptus melliodora)
- Western grey box (Eucalyptus microcarpa)
Occasional use
- Rough-barked apple (Angophora floribunda)
- Belah (Casuarina cristata)
- Dirty gum (Eucalyptus chloroclada)
- Narrow-leaved ironbark (Eucalyptus crebra)
- Gum coolibah (Eucalyptus intertexta)
- Grey box (Eucalyptus moluccana)
- Narrow-leaved grey box (Eucalyptus pilligaensis)
- Mugga ironbark (Eucalyptus sideroxylon)
- Wilga (Geijera parviflora)
High preferred use
- River red gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis)
High use
- Black box (Eucalyptus largiflorens)
- Yellow box (Eucalyptus melliodora)
- Western grey box (Eucalyptus microcarpa
Significant use
- White cypress pine (Callitris glaucophylla)
- Bimble box (Eucalyptus populnea
Occasional use
- White box (Eucalyptus albens)
- Gum coolibah (Eucalyptus intertexta)
Useful resources
These resources provide further information about koala food trees across New South Wales, management plans and strategies local councils have in place to help conserve koala populations.
Koala tree-use information
- Department of Planning, Industry and Environment – Environment, Energy and Science 2019, Koala Habitat Information Base Technical Guide, Appendix 8.2, p. 50–59.
- Mitchell D 2015, Australian Koala Foundation National Koala Tree Planting List, Australian Koala Foundation. This list includes important koala food trees by council or local government area.
- Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH) 2018, A review of koala tree-use across New South Wales, OEH. This review identifies important koala food trees across the state by koala management area (KMA).
- State Environmental Planning Policy (Koala Habitat Protection) 2019 – Schedule 2 Feed tree species. This schedule lists tree species by KMA that are recommended for protection to support and provide habitat for koalas.
- Contact your local Landcare Group, Local Land Services or local council staff for more information or opportunities.