2020-01-16 OM Agenda - Item 1 - Attachment 1 - Draft SEQ Koala Conservation Strategy 2019-2024

       4. Threat management


       In some circumstances however, the requirement          Local government partnerships
       has resulted in welfare issues where threats remain     Local governments manage a number of highly
       or habitat has been cleared.                            successful threat abatement programs, such as the
       In order to provide improved outcomes for koalas        Koala Safe Neighbourhoods partnership between
       that need to be released outside of prescribed          Redland City Council and Griffith University, which
       natural habitat, a streamlined approach has been        is a collaborative science-based approach to
       developed in the Operational Policy—release of          improve habitat and conservation planning, koala
       rehabilitated koalas and the take and release of        threat mitigation initiatives, and includes a koala
       koalas in imminent danger. The policy provides          education campaign.
       clear guidance to applicants and assessors to make      The Queensland Government proposes to work with
       a decision on releasing a rehabilitated koala to a      local governments to support and promote their
       location other than its capture site. A streamlined     existing and new threat mitigation programs.
       approval process will reduce the amount of time an
       otherwise releasable koala spends in rehabilitation
                                                               Koala awareness campaigns
       and reduces the burden on the busy wildlife
       hospital network.                                       The breeding season for koalas (August–February)
                                                               represents a time of high koala mortality. Koalas
       In addition to streamlining the process for releasing   are more active, venturing into new or unusual
       rehabilitated koalas, an authorised person may          territory, and crossing roads, particularly young
       take and release an apparently healthy koala in the     males seeking new habitat.
       wild, when it is found to be in clear and imminent
       danger. The koalas in such circumstances must           This high level of movement exposes them to risks
       either not be able to disperse without human            such as vehicles and dogs. In conjunction with the
       intervention, or unassisted movement is likely to       City of Gold Coast, the Queensland Government
       result in death or injury to the koalas.                trialled an awareness campaign for the Gold
                                                               Coast throughout the 2018–19 breeding season.
       The Queensland Government’s translocation policy        Key messages encouraged changing community
       aims to achieve better conservation outcomes            behaviours, such as the need to drive slowly, and
       for koalas, not to facilitate development that          being aware of rescue contacts. The campaign
       impacts koala habitat. Amendments to a broad            included initiatives such as radio advertising,
       translocation policy are being investigated and         digital displays and social media. The Queensland
       will be drafted in 2020. The development of this        Government proposes to expand this program to
       proactive management response requires time             other local government areas in future breeding
       in order to understand and address the scientific       seasons.
       principles and practical issues associated with
       translocation.
                                                               Threat mapping
       Any policy allowing the translocation of koalas         A comprehensive threat map, and threat mitigation
       will carefully consider the potential impacts that      program is proposed, based on wildlife hospital
       population ecology, genetics or infectious disease      admissions data and other datasets to create a
       dynamics and epidemiology could have on the             comprehensive picture of where the threats to
       translocated individuals or recipient population,       koalas are occurring. By understanding where the
       and be consistent with standards set by the             threats are occurring, and specifics of threatening
       International Union for Conservation of Nature.         processes, effective mitigation actions can be
                                                               introduced.

                                                               For more detailed information on these proposed
                                                               koala conservation actions and goals, and how
                                                               they link to the KEP recommendations refer to
                                                               Appendix 2.

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