2016-07-12 - Item 10 - Att 1 - Koala Conservation Plan

on the northern side of the Park are probably related to the tw
females purposely released there in 1966. These 5 koalas wer
                                Noosa Shire Koala Conservation Plan 2016
forestry sites near Beerburrum.

As the1.2.3        Improve understanding
            Queensland              Nature (Koala)       of koala     needs and behaviours
                                                                 Conservation              Plan 2006 note
populations         may result in inbreeding and thus a reduction in gene
      Koalas are solitary animals and very territorial. They often act aggressively towards other
      individuals. Males are more aggressive. The home range of an individual koala will depend on
turn can      reduce
      the habitat  includingthe     health
                              available          potential
                                        food trees.               and
                                                    Within a socially stablelong-term       viability
                                                                             group, home ranges overlap of frag
      at the edges, and that is where any social interaction takes place. Koalas are very fussy eaters.
KoalasThey  are   subject
             consume    foliage ofto   a range
                                   certain            of diseases.
                                           eucalypts, although                Mostmaysignificant
                                                               some non-eucalypts        contribute to the and com

(koala retro-virus) and Chlamydiosis, which causes urinary tract inf
      diet. Females produce just one young per year.

sometimes         death.
      It is not known how many Koalas there are in the Noosa Shire area. Locally, koalas have been
      sighted at Peregian Beach, Weyba, Sunshine Beach, Noosa National Park, Tewantin, Tewantin
         National Park, Tinbeerwah, Cooroibah, Cootharaba, Doonan, Lake Macdonald, Ringtail
         Creek, Yurol Forest, Pomona, Cooran, Kin Kin, Woondum National Park and elsewhere.
In 2015, Council engaged the University of the Sunshine Coast (US
         Recently there have been verified reports of a koala on Noosa North Shore. Climate change is
         anticipated to alter the distribution of koalas over time and drought can also threaten survival.
for Conservation, to conduct koala presence/absence surveys on
      The current population of koalas in the Noosa Heads National Park Headland section on the
on Land          forof the
      northern side      Wildlife         (LFW)
                            Park are probably   related toproperties.
                                                             the two males and threeThefemalessurvey
                                                                                                   purposelyhelped t

knowledge of the distribution of koalas sourced from Wildnet, Mo
      released there in 1966. These 5 koalas were translocated from forestry sites near Beerburrum.

Council
      As therecords          and(Koala)
              Queensland Nature       Koala        Tracker.
                                             Conservation     Plan 2006 However,            determining the p
                                                                           notes, small fragmented
      populations may result in inbreeding and thus a reduction in genetic variation. This in turn
koalas      doesthe health
      can reduce         notpotential
                                   provide          information
                                         and long-term    viability of fragmentedon populations.
                                                                                        the long           term sus
                                                                                                  Koalas are
      subject to a range of diseases. Most significant and commonplace is KoRV (koala retro-virus)
populations         in different
      and Chlamydiosis,    which causeslocalities.            Historic
                                           urinary tract infection,  infertility records
                                                                                 and sometimesindicate
                                                                                                death.       that infe
KoRV)      are the greatest cause of sickness and mortality in Noo
      In 2015, Council engaged the University of the Sunshine Coast (USC), Detection Dogs for
theseConservation,
         records          have
                      to conduct       been
                                   koala            gathered
                                         presence/absence      surveys on in      areas
                                                                               Council reservefrequented
                                                                                               and on Land for
      Wildlife (LFW) properties. The survey helped to build on current knowledge of the distribution
                                                                                                                by p
necessarily        reflect
      of koalas sourced          the health
                          from Wildnet,              of Hospital,
                                          Moggill Koala    koalas          in records
                                                                      Council    the bush.
                                                                                         and KoalaUnderstanding
                                                                                                    Tracker.
      However, determining the presence/absence of koalas does not provide information on the
extentlongofterm
               these      diseases
                  sustainability             in koala
                                 of koala populations          populations
                                                       in different  localities. Historicwould       allow Council
                                                                                          records indicate
to focus     management actions where efforts will be most effective.
      that infection (Clamydia and KoRV) are the greatest cause of sickness and mortality in Noosa
      Shire. However, these records have been gathered in areas frequented by people, and do
         not necessarily reflect the health of koalas in the bush. Understanding the distribution and
         extent of these diseases in koala
         populations would allow Council
         and the community to focus
         management actions where
         efforts will be most effective.

         There has been some suggestion
         that Noosa Shire koalas could be
         the first round of recipients for a
         new Chlamydia vaccine.




                                                                Maya, the USC Koala ‘poo’ detection dog

                                                 Maya, the USC Koala ‘poo’ detection dog
                                                                                        Noosa Council | Page 15