Restoring koala habitat – South Coast Koala Management Area

The South Coast Koala Management Area (KMA 3) extends from the Shoalhaven region to the Victorian border on the New South Wales south coast. 

Koala populations in KMA 3 are patchy and sparse. Koalas live around the southern fringes of the Bega Valley (Eden), in coastal forests near Bermagui, the Shoalhaven Gorge area and within Morton National Park and surrounds. 

The distribution and abundance of these populations are not well understood.

Threats

Koalas and koala habitat in KMA 3 are threatened by: 

• lack of knowledge about these low-density populations and the threats they face 
• habitat clearing and fragmentation due to rural residential development 
• small numbers of koalas in isolated groups leading to localised extinction 
• high-intensity fires causing koala death; small, isolated groups are particularly at risk 
• vehicle strike 
• diseases such as chlamydia and koala retrovirus 
• canopy dieback across a range of plant species 
• potential negative impact of myrtle rust on eucalypts.

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 be avoided to ensure shade-intolerant understory 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 to 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 
• 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 3. The lists align with local government areas located within this KMA: 

South coast 

• Bega Valley
• Eurobodalla
• Kiama
• Shoalhaven

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

• Allen C 2005, Draft Koala Report NSW Far South Coast, Department of Environment and Conservation, Sydney, NSW. 
• Allen C 2010, Estimating koala numbers & assessing population trends in south eastern NSW, report prepared for the Australian Government’s Threatened Species Scientific Committee to assist its assessment on the listing of the koala as a threatened species under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water, Sydney, NSW. 
• Jurskis V and Potter M 1997, Koala surveys ecology and conservation at Eden, State Forests of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW. 
• Joliffe K, Bulman D, Chockman L and Malam C 2017, Eurobodalla koala recovery strategy – 2014 to 2026, prepared on behalf of The Coastwatchers Assoc Inc, Batemans Bay, NSW. 
• Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH) 2016, 2012–14 Koala survey report in coastal forests of south-eastern NSW – Bermagui/Mumbulla area: Corridors and core habitat for koalas, OEH, Sydney, NSW.