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Environment and Heritage

Restoring koala habitat – Central Coast Koala Management Area

This fact sheet describes koala populations in this region and how to restore the variety of habitats they use.

 

Many koala populations are found in the Central Coast Koala Management Area (KMA 2), which extends from Newcastle in the north to Wollongong/Shellharbour in the south.

Koala populations are located around Campbelltown, the Blue Mountains, Lower Hunter Valley, Brisbane Water National Park, Gosford, Woy Woy, Wollemi National Park, the Colo River area, Yengo National Park, the Canyonleigh area, and the Wingecarribee and Wollondilly River areas. Scattered populations also occur in other areas.

Koalas occur in the extremely varied habitat types of this KMA, from coastal lowlands to the Blue Mountains hinterland and the Southern Highlands. It includes a high diversity of koala feed tree species.

Koalas in this KMA often prefer moist valleys and gullies, but they also move along cliff edges, and use drier ridges, slopes, and rock caves on hot days. 

Map showing the extent of the Central Coast Koala Management Area (KMA), with national parks, state forests, major waterways and roads.

Map showing the extent of the Central Coast Koala Management Area (KMA), with national parks, state forests, major waterways and roads.

Threats

Koalas and koala habitat in KMA 2 are threatened by:

  • habitat clearing and fragmentation due to development along the coast
  • vehicle strike and domestic dog attack
  • high-intensity or high-frequency fires, which cause koala mortality and temporarily eliminate food sources
  • competition from rainforest species into eucalypt-dominated koala habitat, which can excessively shade eucalypts and inhibit growth of seedlings
  • dense growth of weeds, such as lantana, which can inhibit koala movement
  • diseases such as chlamydia and koala retrovirus
  • dieback across a range of plant species due to climate changes, bell miners and insects
  • potential negative impact of myrtle rust on eucalypts
  • potential impact of sea level rise.

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 structure you aim to establish (that is, woodland, open forest or tall open forest). Trees should be planted far enough apart to have good tree form or lateral branches and to allow enough light through for native grasses, shrubs and ferns to thrive.

Some tips for planting:

  • Plant trees 8–10 metres apart (150 trees/hectare).
  • Tree spacing less than 8 metres should be avoided to ensure shade-intolerant understorey plants can thrive and provide habitat for other animals.
  • Plant shrubs 3–5 metres apart (400–625 shrubs/hectare), depending on the size of shrubs.
  • Spacing for groundcover varies and can be anywhere from one to 6 plants per square metre.
  • Density of trees and shrubs can vary from 400–1,000 per hectare.

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:

  • Melaleuca – paperbark/tea tree
  • Acacia – wattle
  • Allocasuarina – she oak.

We recommend you plant a range of high-, significant- and occasional-use tree species from the 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 2. The lists align with local government areas located within this KMA:

Central coast

  • Bayside
  • Blacktown
  • Blue Mountains
  • Burwood
  • Camden
  • Campbelltown
  • Canada Bay
  • Canterbury–Bankstown
  • Central Coast
  • Cessnock
  • City of Parramatta
  • Cumberland
  • Fairfield
  • Georges River
  • Hawkesbury
  • Hornsby
  • Hunters Hill
  • Inner West
  • Ku-Ring-Gai
  • Lake Macquarie
  • Lane Cove
  • Liverpool
  • Mosman
  • Muswellbrook
  • Newcastle
  • North Sydney
  • Northern Beaches
  • Penrith
  • Randwick
  • Ryde
  • Singleton
  • Strathfield
  • Sutherland Shire
  • Sydney
  • The Hills Shire
  • Waverley
  • Willoughby
  • Wollondilly
  • Woollahra

South coast

  • Shellharbour
  • Wollongong

Northwest Slopes

  • Upper Hunter

Central and Southern Tablelands

  • Wingecarribee
Central Coast tree list

High preferred use

  • White box (Eucalyptus albens)
  • Blakely’s red gum (Eucalyptus blakelyi)
  • Coast grey box (Eucalyptus bosistoana)
  • Large-fruited grey box (Eucalyptus canaliculata)
  • Monkey gum (Eucalyptus cypellocarpa)
  • Woollybutt (Eucalyptus longifolia)
  • Yellow box (Eucalyptus melliodora)
  • Tallowwood (Eucalyptus microcorys)
  • Grey box (Eucalyptus moluccana)
  • Parramatta red gum (Eucalyptus parramattensis)
  • Small-fruited grey gum (Eucalyptus propinqua)
  • Grey gum (Eucalyptus punctata)
  • Swamp mahogany (Eucalyptus robusta)
  • Forest red gum (Eucalyptus tereticornis)

High use

  • Beyer’s ironbark (Eucalyptus beyeriana)
  • River red gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis)
  • Mountain blue gum (Eucalyptus deanei)
  • White stringybark (Eucalyptus globoidea)
  • Flooded gum (Eucalyptus grandis)
  • Craven grey box (Eucalyptus largeana)
  • Grey ironbark (Eucalyptus paniculata)
  • White-topped box (Eucalyptus quadrangulata)

Significant use

  • Forest oak (Allocasuarina torulosa)
  • Smooth-barked apple (Angophora costata)
  • Yellow bloodwood (Corymbia eximia)
  • Red bloodwood (Corymbia gummifera)
  • Bangalay (Eucalyptus botryoides)
  • Narrow-leaved ironbark (Eucalyptus crebra)
  • Broad-leaved red ironbark (Eucalyptus fibrosa)
  • Stringybark (Eucalyptus oblonga)
  • Sydney peppermint (Eucalyptus piperita)
  • Narrow-leaved scribbly gum (Eucalyptus racemosa)
  • Red mahogany (Eucalyptus resinifera)
  • Sydney blue gum (Eucalyptus saligna)
  • Large-fruited red mahogany (Eucalyptus scias)
  • Hard-leaved scribbly gum (Eucalyptus sclerophylla)
  • Scribbly gum (Eucalyptus signata)
  • Ribbon gum (Eucalyptus viminalis)
  • Turpentine (Syncarpia glomulifera)

Occasional use

  • Black she-oak (Allocasuarina littoralis)
  • Narrow-leaved apple (Angophora bakeri)
  • Rough-barked apple (Angophora floribunda)
  • Swamp oak (Casuarina glauca)
  • Spotted gum (Corymbia maculata)
  • White mahogany (Eucalyptus acmenoides)
  • Blue-leaved stringybark (Eucalyptus agglomerata)
  • Cabbage gum (Eucalyptus amplifolia)
  • Camfield’s stringybark (Eucalyptus camfieldii)
  • Brown stringybark (Eucalyptus capitellata)
  • Thick-leaved mahogany (Eucalyptus carnea)
  • Yertchuk (Eucalyptus consideniana)
  • Narrow-leaved or thin-leaved stringybark (Eucalyptus eugenioides)
  • Slaty red gum (Eucalyptus glaucina)
  • Broad-leaved scribbly gum (Eucalyptus haemastoma)
  • Eucalyptus imitans (Eucalyptus imitans)
  • Red stringybark (Eucalyptus macrorhyncha)
  • Brittle gum (Eucalyptus michaeliana)
  • Blackbutt (Eucalyptus pilularis)
  • Grey ironbark (Eucalyptus siderophloia)
  • Mugga ironbark (Eucalyptus sideroxylon)
  • Silvertop ash (Eucalyptus sieberi)
  • Narrow-leaved stringybark (Eucalyptus sparsifolia)
  • Scaly bark (Eucalyptus squamosa)
  • Bastard white mahogany (Eucalyptus umbra)
  • Broad-leaved paperbark (Melaleuca quinquenervia)
South Coast tree list

High preferred use

  • Monkey gum (Eucalyptus cypellocarpa)
  • White stringybark (Eucalyptus globoidea)
  • Woollybutt (Eucalyptus longifolia)
  • Maiden’s blue gum (Eucalyptus maidenii)
  • Grey gum (Eucalyptus punctata)
  • Forest red gum (Eucalyptus tereticornis)

High use

  • Coast grey box (Eucalyptus bosistoana)
  • Yertchuk (Eucalyptus consideniana)
  • Narrow-leaved or thin-leaved stringybark (Eucalyptus eugenioides)
  • Mugga or red ironbark (Eucalyptus tricarpa)

Significant use

  • Messmate (Eucalyptus obliqua)
  • Sydney blue gum (Eucalyptus saligna)

Occasional use

  • Black she-oak (Allocasuarina littoralis)
  • Rough-barked apple (Angophora floribunda)
  • Red bloodwood (Corymbia gummifera)
  • Spotted gum (Corymbia maculata)
  • Blue-leaved stringybark (Eucalyptus agglomerata)
  • Blue box (Eucalyptus baueriana)
  • River peppermint (Eucalyptus elata)
  • Brown barrel (Eucalyptus fastigata)
  • Yellow stringybark (Eucalyptus muelleriana)
  • Grey ironbark (Eucalyptus paniculata)
  • Blackbutt (Eucalyptus pilularis)
  • Sydney peppermint (Eucalyptus piperita)
  • Hard-leaved scribbly gum (Eucalyptus sclerophylla)
  • Silvertop ash (Eucalyptus sieberi)
  • Ribbon gum (Eucalyptus viminalis)
Central and Southern Tablelands tree list

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)
Northwest Slopes tree list

High preferred use

  • White box (Eucalyptus albens)
  • Blakely’s red gum (Eucalyptus blakelyi)
  • River red gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis)
  • Large-fruited grey gum (Eucalyptus canaliculata)
  • Dirty gum (Eucalyptus chloroclada)
  • Fuzzy box (Eucalyptus conica)
  • Coolibah (Eucalyptus coolabah)
  • Tumbledown red gum (Eucalyptus dealbata)
  • Dwyer’s red gum (Eucalyptus dwyeri)
  • Peppermint (Eucalyptus exserta)
  • Yellow box (Eucalyptus melliodora)
  • Western grey box (Eucalyptus microcarpa)
  • Grey box (Eucalyptus moluccana)
  • Parramatta red gum (Eucalyptus parramattensis)
  • White Sally or snow gum (Eucalyptus pauciflora)
  • Narrow-leaved grey box (Eucalyptus pilligaensis)
  • Bimble box or poplar box (Eucalyptus populnea)
  • Grey gum (Eucalyptus punctata)

High use

  • Narrow-leaved ironbark (Eucalyptus crebra)
  • Black box (Eucalyptus largiflorens)
  • Silver-leaved ironbark (Eucalyptus melanophloia)
  • Orange gum (Eucalyptus prava)

Significant use

  • Rough-barked apple (Angophora floribunda)
  • White cypress pine (Callitris glaucophylla)
  • Broad-leaved stringybark (Eucalyptus caliginosa)
  • Silvertop stringybark (Eucalyptus laevopinea)
  • Red stringybark (Eucalyptus macrorhyncha)
  • Mugga ironbark (Eucalyptus sideroxylon)

Occasional use

  • Belah (Casuarina cristata)
  • Apple box (Eucalyptus bridgesiana)
  • Drooping ironbark (Eucalyptus caleyi)
  • Mountain gum (Eucalyptus dalrympleana)
  • Broad-leaved red ironbark (Eucalyptus fibrosa)
  • Bundy (Eucalyptus goniocalyx)
  • Brittle gum (Eucalyptus mannifera)
  • Forest ribbon gum (Eucalyptus nobilis)
  • Red box (Eucalyptus polyanthemos)
  • White topped box (Eucalyptus quadrangulata)
  • Ribbon gum (Eucalyptus viminalis)

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

Koala management plans and habitat studies

  • Eco Logical Australia 2015, Bingara Gorge Koala Plan of Management, prepared by Eco Logical Australia for Lend Lease Communities Wilton.
  • Madani G 2014, Preliminary investigation into the status of koalas in the Upper Wingecarribee Shire, NSW with recommendations for future work, prepared by George Madani on behalf of the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage and Wingecarribee Shire Council.
  • Philips S 2018, Campbelltown Comprehensive Koala Plan of Management, prepared by Biolink for Campbelltown City Council (revised draft).

More information