Another 3,157 hectares of high-quality koala habitat has been secured for the state's national park estate by the NSW Government, helping to further safeguard koalas in New South Wales.
Minister for Environment James Griffin said 7 more properties, spanning from near Tenterfield in the north to near Cooma in the south, have been protected in perpetuity.
"These 7 properties cover more than 3,100 hectares and are dotted along the state's eastern 'koala belt', with each one providing the right blend of eucalypts, terrain and climate to support koalas," Mr Griffin said.
"As well as koalas, these national park additions will protect an incredible diversity of native wildlife, including more than 30 threatened species such as long-nosed potoroos, glossy-black cockatoos, greater gliders and powerful owls.
"The NSW Government is delivering strong koala protections around the state through our more than $190 million NSW Koala Strategy, which is the single largest investment in a species by any government.
"Through the NSW Koala Strategy, we have specifically committed $107.1 million for the protection, restoration and management of more than 47,000 hectares of koala habitat to help double the number of koalas in our state by 2050."
The latest 3,157 hectares of koala habitat is in addition to 7,608 hectares that has already been acquired as koala habitat for the national park estate, through the current and previous NSW Koala Strategy.
The 7 new koala properties were selected for their evidence of koalas, habitat connectivity, appropriate terrain, tree species and climate.
From north to south, the new properties include:
- 1,280 hectares next to Captains Creek Nature Reserve, 59 km north-east of Tenterfield
- 388 hectares next to Mount Hyland Nature Reserve, south-west of Dorrigo
- 77.3 hectares of bushland next to Queens Lake Nature Reserve, around 20 km from Port Macquarie
- 380 hectares next to Morton National Park, 38 km south-east of Goulburn
- 424 hectares next to Kybeyan Nature Reserve, around 35 km from Cooma
- 525 hectares between Wadbilliga and Kybeyan, 60 km east of Cooma
- 83 hectares connecting two areas of Dangelong Nature Reserve, about 25 km east of Cooma.
Since 2019, the NSW Government has secured more than 600,000 hectares for addition to the national park estate to protect threatened habitats, wildlife and cultural heritage in perpetuity.
