Recovery Partnership

Saving our koalas

The Hastings-Macleay Koala Recovery Partnership

Koalas are now an endangered species in NSW, and if we don’t take urgent action, they could be extinct by 2050. It really will ‘take a village’ to save them, and we need everyone to work together.

The NSW Government has set an ambitious goal to double the number of koalas in New South Wales by 2050 under the NSW Koala Program. This program includes 8 Regional Partnerships, which leverage local expertise to deliver coordinated on-ground actions to protect koalas and their habitat.

In recognition of our work and expertise, the NSW Koala Program has appointed KCA to host the regional partnership for the Hastings-Macleay region. We’ve been collaborating with Port Macquarie Hastings Council, Kempsey Shire Council, Hastings Landcare, Macleay Landcare, Local Land Services, and Local Birpai and Dunghutti First Nations people to protect koalas.

The Hastings-Macleay region has several critically important ‘Koala Strongholds.’ A large proportion of koala habitat in the Hastings-Macleay region has been mapped as “Areas of Regional Koala Significance” (ARKS).

Partner with us!

Are you a rural landowner in Port Macquarie Hastings or Kempsey-Macleay Local Government Areas? You may qualify for koala habitat regeneration assistance on your land. Find out more here.

If you're a local (or local community group) interested in supporting this program, check out the education and Landcare initiatives here.

Delivered under the NSW Koala Program, KCA will support local on-ground activities to protect koalas and their habitat, via the following:

1. The Hastings-Macleay Koala Habitat Restoration Program:

More than 60% of our koalas are known to be on private properties, so we must work with private landholders to protect and restore koala habitat. This Program will provide landholders with direct support to assist with this goal. If you’re a local landholder, see here for more info, or check out the FAQs at the end of this page.

2. Reducing koala injury and attack:

After habitat destruction and disease, the next most significant threat to our koalas is death or injury due to vehicle strikes and domestic dog attacks. We aim to reduce the number of koalas killed and injured by delivering community education and initiatives.

3. Working with our local Aboriginal community:

Our approach to habitat restoration will be informed by modern scientific research and the traditional ecological and cultural knowledge of the Birpai and Dunghutti people. We also want to ensure that any work undertaken is sensitive to cultural sites.

4. Research & mapping of koala habitats:

We’re working with our Council partners to assist with Koala Habitat mapping via vegetation assessments and Koala Occupancy survey: Conserving Koalas for years to come | Your Say Macleay (nsw.gov.au)

5. Community engagement & education:

We’ve been delivering information and education sessions to our community, stakeholders, and landholders, to empower them to make positive changes to support koalas.

Introducing our local Koala Officer

In early 2023, we welcomed Louise Hoade to our team as a Koala Officer (funded by the NSW Koala Program). She coordinates the on-ground delivery of the Koala Recovery Program. Louise is based at Port Macquarie Koala Hospital, and she supports koala conservation by working with communities and stakeholders on habitat restoration, prevention of vehicle strikes and domestic dog attacks, education, and research. One of Louise’s key activities is working with local landholders to assist in delivering habitat restoration activities.

Habitat Recovery – Get Involved

As a landholder

If you own a rural or semi-rural property and want to protect koalas and their habitat, we’d love to hear from you! 

Specifically, we're targeting rural landholdings within the Port Macquarie-Hastings or Kempsey-Macleay Local Government Areas, which contain bushland (or pockets of bushland) and evidence of past or present koala activity.

We are working with Landcare groups and private contractors to restore degraded koala habitats and deliver restoration activities to landholders, including site assessment, weed control, bush regeneration, planting of koala corridors, and fencing. 

If you're a rural landholder interested in finding out more, scroll down for a list of FAQs, and email our Koala Officer —koalaofficer@koalahospital.org.au — if you're interested in applying for support.

Our Koala Officer also runs information sessions for interested landholders. To get the latest workshop updates, please follow us on Facebook, or email us at koalaofficer@koalahospital.org.au

As a community member or group

We aim to empower our community to help protect our local koalas and their habitat. It really does ‘take a village’, and we need as many people as possible to become local advocates for our koalas! 

We run information sessions and workshops with the aim of:

  • Educating drivers on koala road safety, and actions that can reduce Koala vehicle strikes.
  • Educating dog owners on the best ways to reduce the chances of dog attacks.
  • Providing workshops and opportunities for habitat restoration and koala food tree planting.

If you're interested in any of the above, keep an eye on our social media channels or email our koala officer for details: koalaofficer@koalahospital.org.au.

Other ways you can help

  • Attend a workshop/info session, then share your knowledge with others.
  • Plant koala food and shelter trees to restore land to make more habitat for koalas. This includes anything from planting a handful of koala feed trees to large scale plantings.
  • Remove weeds to make existing habitat better for koalas.
  • Find out how koalas move through the landscape (including reporting koala sightings using I SPY KOALA to tell us more about our koala populations. 
  • Volunteering with your local Landcare group.

Report koala sightings, we need our community to be our eyes and ears on the ground. The more koala sightings that the public submit to us, the more data we have on their population, habitat and movements in the area. Learn more about reporting koala sightings here.

The Hastings-Macleay Koala Habitat Restoration Program

FAQs for Private Landholders

How do I know if I’m eligible?

If you are a

  • a) rural or semi-rural land holder within the Port Macquarie-Hastings or Kempsey-Macleay Local Government Areas within the partnership project area,
  • b) you have bushland or remnant bushland on your property that needs restoration (e.g. because it is infested with weeds such as lantana), and
  • c) you believe you have koala habitat or know of koala activity (past or present) on your property, You can express your interest for site assessment and potential support.

How can I tell if I have koala habitat on my land?

Koalas may be hard to spot in the wild as they tend to be quite camouflaged amongst the treetops (look for round shapes in tree crevices). However, they do leave several telltale signs! Droppings on the ground are pretty obvious (they produce up to 200 pellets per 24-hours)! These are small green-brown, fibrous pellets about 20 mm long and thick as a pencil. There may also be parallel scratch marks on gum tree trunks. Koalas also make a distinctive noise, particularly during mating season. Take a listen here.

What kind of assistance can I receive to restore degraded koala habitat on my land?

We’ll coordinate groups such as Landcare and private contractors to deliver habitat restoration activities such as site assessment, weed control, bush regeneration, planting of koala corridors and fencing. Our work will reference DPE’s Koala Habitat Restoration Guidelines.

If I join the Program, will this impact what I can do with my land?

No. Joining the Program and accepting assistance to restore koala habitat on your land will not impact your current or potential future usage rights or zoning.

Will there be any cost to me?

You’re under no obligation to contribute financially. All we ask is that you facilitate access to your property and maintain communication with our Koala Officer so they can efficiently coordinate and deliver any work.

Will workers on my property be insured?

Yes. Any workers, contractors, employees or volunteers we bring on to your property will be fully insured

How do I apply?

Please email us at koalaofficer@koalahospital.org.au, and provide your contact phone number, property address, and any info you have about koala sightings or possible koala habitat on your land. We'll then contact you for a chat about how we can assist.