Restoring koala habitat – Northern Tablelands Koala Management Area

Low-density koala populations are scattered throughout the highly fragmented and cleared Northern Tablelands Koala Management Area (KMA 4). 

The distribution of koalas in this area is poorly understood. They are found in a range of habitat types including small woodland and forest remnants, paddock trees within fertile agricultural areas, and more rugged woodlands and forests.

Threats

Koalas and koala habitat in KMA 4 are threatened by: 

• lack of knowledge about this low-density population and its threatening processes 
• continued habitat clearing and fragmentation due to rural residential development 
• climate change, drought and heatwaves 
• high-intensity fires causing koala injury and death, and temporarily eliminating food sources 
• possible future influx of koalas from the larger populations to the west, as their habitat range shrinks due to climate change, increasing competition for limited resources 
• vehicle strike and domestic dog attack 
• diseases such as chlamydia and koala retrovirus.

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 (for example, woodland, open forest or tall open forest). Trees should be planted far enough apart to have good tree form or formation of 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 closer than 8 metres should usually be avoided to ensure enough light is available for understorey plants that provide habitat for other animals, although in moist high-fertility sites close spacing of 3–5 metres (400–625 trees/hectare) is recommended. 
• 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. 
• A density of 600–1,000 trees and shrubs per hectare is common. 

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 4. The lists align with local government areas located within this KMA:

Northern Tablelands

• Armidale Regional
• Glen Innes Severn
• Tamworth Regional
• Tenterfield
• Uralla
• Walcha

Northwest Slopes

• Inverell
• Liverpool Plains

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. 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. 

Koala management plans and habitat studies

• Hawes W, Hunter J, Lechner A and Ede A 2016, Northern Tablelands Koala Recovery Strategy 2015–2025, prepared by The Envirofactor, Inverell, NSW, for the Northern Tablelands Local Land Services (NT LLS).
• Ede A, Hawes W and Hunter J 2016, Koalas on the Northern Tablelands: Literature Review, prepared by The Envirofactor, Inverell, NSW, for the NT LLS.