2019-03-12 P&E Agenda - Item 5 - Attachment 2 - Koala Infrastructure & Feasibility Report

1.              Introduction
Conservation planning for koalas and the habitat they depend upon are important considerations for
improving planning and management practises to ensure long term conservation of koalas. Noosa Council
(Council) has adopted a Koala Conservation Plan, requiring Council to undertake a koala infrastructure audit
to assess the condition and effectiveness of current infrastructure and inform recommendations for potential
new infrastructure. O2 Ecology has partnered with the University of the Sunshine Coast (USC) to provide
Council with a thorough understanding of koala infrastructure within the Noosa Council Local Government
Area (LGA) and recommendations for future infrastructure.

The iconic koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) inhabits a range of Eucalyptus dominated communities (Martin &
Handasyde 1999). Formerly common throughout the Eucalyptus dominated forests and woodlands from
north Queensland to the south-eastern corner of mainland South Australia, its range has now contracted
significantly due to loss of large areas of habitat (Curtis & Dennis 2012). Often considered as the stronghold
for wild populations of koala, Southeast Queensland is also the fastest growing area in the State (Australian
Bureau of Statistics 2015). The importance of koala conservation is recognised within Commonwealth and
State Government legislation and policy, the koala is listed as Vulnerable under the Commonwealth
Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) and the Queensland Nature
Conservation Act 1992 (NC Act).

Causes of koala mortality are diverse and key threats to the species are habitat loss and fragmentation,
urbanisation, dog attacks, vehicle collisions, disease, bushfire and climate change (Dique et al. 2003; Rhodes
et al. 2011; Lunney et al. 2010; DECC NSW 2008; Seabrook et al. 2011; Adams-Hosking et al. 2012; Lunney et
al. 2007; RHODES et al. 2006; Narayan et al. 2013). McAlpine et al. (2006) highlighted that conservation and
restoration of viable koala populations require more than habitat protection and restoration.
Recommendations included:

•    minimising new urban developments and roads within landscapes occupied by koalas or where koalas
     are known to have occurred in the recent past;
•    controlling domestic dogs in areas where koalas occur and adjacent to koala habitat, especially at night
     when koalas are most active;
•    reducing traffic speeds on minor roads, especially at night when koalas are most active; and
•    implementing measures to minimise the risk of vehicle collisions on major roads, whilst also facilitating
     effective koala movement.

This project focusses on the vulnerability of koalas to road-kill (Dique et al. 2003; Preece 2007; Lassau et al.
2008) and the barrier effects of roads (Lee et al. 2010).

1.1.            Project Overview
This project completes a field audit of existing koala infrastructure and identifies areas for additional koala
infrastructure. A review of available literature and geospatial analysis support recommendations for
potential measures to reducing koala-vehicle collisions and allowing permeability to koala movement across
roads.




Koala Infrastructure Audit & Feasibility Report                                                           Page 1

Noosa Council
17SUN-0087/1700860