House debates

Monday, 30 November 2020

Private Members' Business

Koalas

5:01 pm

Photo of Pat ConaghanPat Conaghan (Cowper, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

Koalas are synonymous with the township of Port Macquarie in my electorate. When you drive into Port Macquarie and exit off at the Pacific Highway, at the service station there you will see Oceania, Mr T, Koala Z and Kirralee—four individually painted koala sculptures standing at a metre high. And if you enter from the north end, you won't drive far before you see another one-metre tall koala sculpture named Douglas. Hello Koalas is an award-winning tourism conservation initiative coordinated by Margaret Meagher. It has been in operation since 2014, and there are now about 77 koalas in the Hello Koala sculpture trail. One of the latest is Frankie the Firefighter, a koala dressed in the proud yellow and red uniform of the Rural Fire Service.

In Port Macquarie, we also have the Koala Hospital, which rates as the No. 1 reason on tourism app Trip Advisor to visit the town. The Port Macquarie Koala Hospital has been outstanding in its actions to assist koalas from across New South Wales since its inception in 1973. During and after the Black Summer bushfires it raised about $8 million through its gofundme page and constructed and distributed 140 water drinking stations in koala habitat areas. The Koala Hospital is run by four paid staff and 140 passionate local volunteers. In fact, there is a waiting list to become a volunteer at the hospital. The hospital consists of one treatment room, eight intensive care units, six outdoor intensive care units and 33 rehabilitation yards, many with trees. But it is not only a hospital to treat sick and injured koalas; it is an organisation that assists with koala research, by partnering with the University of Sydney and the Queensland University of Technology. About 250 koalas are admitted through the hospital annually, and they come from all over New South Wales.

The hospital is about to embark on a world-first facility, delivered through its gofundme page and the state government's generous gifting of the land along with a further $5 million state grant. I am told that the new wild koala breeding facility will not only increase the number of koalas but also dramatically increase their chance of survival when released into the wild, due to extensive research. Port Macquarie Koala Hospital Director Cheyne Flanagan says that it will be a partnership project with universities and other research bodies as well. I know Ms Flanagan supports the member for Griffith's motion today to consider up-listing the koala status of 'vulnerable' under national environment laws. I also know the environment minister, Sussan Ley, who visited my electorate on 13 January, following the bushfires, also supports its consideration. The Threatened Species Scientific Committee is currently assessing all available information and will be undertaking a full assessment of the combined koala populations of Queensland, New South Wales and the ACT. This assessment will consider the impacts of the devastating summer bushfires on koalas, as well as threats such as chlamydia and other diseases.

With the potential up-listing of the koala's status, the Morrison-McCormack government is acting. Indeed, the coalition government, since 2014, has invested over $26.4 million on projects supporting outcomes for koalas. Projects have included tree planting, propagating food trees and reconnecting corridors. Under the Environment Restoration Fund, a total of $6 million has been allocated for koalas, including $3 million for koala hospitals in South-East Queensland. The remaining $3 million from the Environment Restoration Fund is for projects that will improve and protect important koala habitat in New South Wales and South-East Queensland. But we must ensure our investment in the restoration and enhancement of koala habitat is targeted and backed by science. This is why, on 23 November, the environment minister announced our government will be providing $2 million for a national koala census. The environment minister knows many states and territory agencies, researchers, community groups and volunteers are collecting good information about koalas in the wild, but there are gaps and there is a need for coordination and reporting. I look forward to working with the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital, its volunteers and other residents and encourage them to become involved in the census.

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