Koala habitat conservation and Bellingen.
Road 'upgrades' and logging impacting koala survival.
Is there a gap between strategy and reality?
The NSW Koala Strategy
sets out to improve koala conservation. “Koalas in New South Wales face a range of threats, including habitat loss, fragmentation and degradation, climate change, disease, declining genetic diversity, vehicle strike, bushfire, and dog attack”.
https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/topics/animals-and-plants/threatened-species/programs-legislation-and-framework/nsw-koala-strategy
The Bellingen Shire Council Coastal Area Koala Management Strategy
sets out the threats to koalas as:
“1. Clearing of koala habitat for urban and rural residential development, roadwork, forestry and agricultural activities.
2. Fragmentation of koala habitat, which isolates individuals and populations, impedes gene
flow and the ability to maintain effective recruitment levels.
3. Mortalities caused by dog attack and vehicle strike.
4. Mortalities caused by random events such as wildfire and/or extreme weather conditions.
5. Disease, mainly associated with Chlamydia.”
https://www.bellingen.nsw.gov.au/files/sharedassets/public/files/plans-amp-strategies/bellingen-shire-council-coastal-area-koala-management-strategy-and-plan.pdf
The Bellingen Shire Council Coastal Area Core Koala Habitat Comprehensive Koala Plan of Management (the CKPOM)
https://www.bellingen.nsw.gov.au/Services/Planning-and-Development/Koala-Plan-of-Management
Koala Habitat mapping tool, Bellingen Shire Council
https://bellingen.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=8cd1d74a9e964e92a75df624863b2b85
Gleniffer Road 'upgrade' using Roses Road to detour heavy traffic through "Core Koala Habitat"
https://www.bellingen.nsw.gov.au/Services/Major-Projects-Capital-Works/Major-Projects-RoadBridge-works/Roads/Gleniffer-Road
