Restoring koala habitat – Western Slopes and Plains Koala Management Area

The Western Slopes and Plains Koala Management Area (KMA 6) extends across central New South Wales, between the Queensland and Victorian borders, from Parkes in the east to the Cobar and Bourke districts in the west.

Large koala populations once lived in this KMA, in particular the Pilliga region and around Gunnedah, Walgett and Moree. Recent surveys have found no evidence of koalas in the Pilliga, and the Gunnedah population appears to fluctuate in size over time periods of decades. A small koala population was established in Narrandera in 1972 through translocation of Victorian animals.

Koalas are found in large low-fertility woodland blocks, small remnant patches and paddock trees in agricultural and urban settings. Relatively high densities of koalas are found on flat lands with fertile black clay soils, such as the Liverpool plains, and riparian areas with river red gums, although these areas are less well studied.

Travelling stock routes, other Crown land reserves and roadside reserves provide important habitat connectivity across this KMA.

Threats

Koalas and koala habitat in KMA 6 are threatened by:

• habitat clearing and fragmentation due to agriculture, increased mining of coal and coal-seam gas, as well as rural residential development
• climate change, drought, heatwaves; a large proportion of koalas in Gunnedah died in a 2-week period during heatwaves and drought in 2009 due to dehydration, heat stress and disease
• high-intensity fires, which cause koala mortality and temporarily eliminate food sources
• vehicle strike
• disease, mostly chlamydia
• absence of permanent water in some areas, such as the Pilliga
• tree die-back and changes in leaf chemistry linked to climate change.

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 and to allow enough light through for native grasses, shrubs and ferns to thrive.

Some tips for planting:

• plant a mixture of trees and shrubs about 6 metres between stems and 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 if possible.

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:

• Acacia – wattle
• Brachychiton
• Casuarina
• 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 6. The lists align with local government areas located within this KMA:

Central and Southern Tablelands

• Cootamundra–Gundagai Regional
• Junee
• Wagga Wagga

Darling Riverine Plains

• Brewarrina
• Coonamble
• Narromine
• Walgett
• Warren

Far West

• Bland
• Bogan
• Bourke
• Brewarrina
• Carrathool
• Cobar
• Coolamon
• Forbes
• Griffith
• Junee
• Lachlan
• Leeton
• Narrandera
• Parkes
• Temora
• Wagga Wagga
• Weddin

Northwest Slopes

• Coonamble
• Dubbo Regional
• Gilgandra
• Gunnedah
• Gwydir
• Moree Plains
• Narrabri
• Warrumbungle

Riverina

• Griffith
• Leeton

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

• Greenloaning and Phillips S 2013, Draft Gunnedah LGA (Part) Comprehensive Koala Plan of Management 2013, Unpublished draft document prepared by Greenloaning BioStudies Pty Ltd in conjunction with Dr S Phillips – Biolink Ecological Services Pty Ltd.
• Lemon J, Martin W, Wilson B, Nadolny C and Lunney D 2012, Habitat reconstruction at Gunnedah Research Centre, Gunnedah, New South Wales, Australasian Plant Conservation, 21(2), 9–10.
• Lunney D, Lemon J, Crowther MS, Stalenberg E, Ross K and Wheeler R 2012, An ecological approach to koala conservation in a mined landscape, in: Life-of-Mine Conference proceedings, Brisbane, Qld, p 345–354.
• Lunney D, Predavec M, Sonawane I, Kavanagh R, Barrott–Brown G, Phillips S and Shannon I 2017, The remaining koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) of the Pilliga forests, north-west New South Wales: refugial persistence or a population on the road to extinction? Pacific Conservation Biology, 23(3), 277–294.