2016-04-19 P&E Committee - Item 4, Attachment 1 - Draft Koala Conservation Management Plan

  Case study: Federal Voluntary Conservation Agreement (VCA) Cluster

  In the western part of Noosa Shire, at the locality of Federal, three VCA landholders
  have been active with efforts to conserve local koalas. The landholders have been
  monitoring and recording koalas in the area and recently participated in a survey with
  USC researchers and Maya, the koala detection dog. Most evidence occurs in Spotted
  Gum (Corymbia maculata) country along ridgelines. This data has contributed to
  expanding the known range of koalas in the western part of the Shire and has been
  included in the Noosa Shire Koala Habitat map.




                      Controlling weeds in koala habitat on VCA land

                                    Photo: Joel Morris




Noosa and District Landcare Group (NDLG)

Noosa and District Landcare Group (NDLG) have been involved in habitat restoration
projects on both private and public land, for many years. In 2013, NDLG were
successful in gaining $30,000 in grant funding for the ‘Noosa Hinterland Koala Habitat
Restoration and Awareness Project’ through the Everyone’s Environment Grant
Program. The project involved extensive consultation with private landholders and key
stakeholders such as Council, Koala Care Groups, Environment Groups, Natural
Resource Management Groups and research agencies. The project was promoted
through the media, environmental networks and koala brochures were distributed to
landholders inviting them to be part of the initiative. Seven properties were selected
and two-thousand koala trees were planted. Workshops, school visits and community
events were held to promote the importance of koala conservation.




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