Australian Koala Foundation the International Organisation Dedicated to Saving the Koala and Its Habitat

N U O S I T T R A A D LI N AN OU KOALA F Australian Koala Foundation The international organisation dedicated to saving the Koala and its habitat.

ACN 010 922 102

18 April 2019

Hon Bill Shorten MP PO Box 214 Moonee Ponds, VIC, 3039

Dear Mr Shorten,

On behalf of the Australian Koala Foundation (AKF) I am enclosing the following:

1. A map of Australia showing AKF’s estimated number of Koalas in their geographic range. This map is the result of $15m privately funded research and 30 years in the field.

2. A map showing the number of Koalas in each federal electorate.

3. A graphic which illustrates there are only 5 federal electorates that have more than 5000 Koalas (Maranoa, Mayo, Corangamite, Indi, Wannon), and 41 electorates where Koalas are now extinct.

Over the years we have tried to educate all sitting members about the problems facing Koalas. More importantly, on our website under Act or Axe we have articulated the amount

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AUSTRALIA USA - Registered Office USA - Correspondance JAPAN - Donations

Australian Koala Foundation Friends of the AKF Friends of the AKF Australian Koala Foundation ACN 010 922 102 C/-The Nolan Group/ C/-ATC International Post Office Remittance Number: ABN 90 010 922 102 Lehr Group Inc. 1807 14th Street, NW, Level 2 Koala Kikin 00100-8-762653 112 East 17th Street Washington DC 20009 USA At all Post Offices across Japan GPO Box 2659, Suite #1W Brisbane QLD 4001 Ph: 1-202-299 1151 New York, NY 10003 USA Fax: 1-202-299 1153 Ph: 61-7-3119 7233 Ph: 1-212-967 8200 Fax: 61-7-3221 0337 Fax: 1-212-967 7292 Email: [email protected]

www.savethekoala.com -2-

of Koala habitat that remains in your electorate and have sought your support for the Koala Protection Act.

N U O S I T T R A We have allocated either a tick or a crossA and since we began writing (in 2010) it has been D LI N AN OU KOALA F shocking to see theA responses (or lack of) from political leaders and party officials. The international organisation dedicated to saving the Koala and its habitat.

I have beenFederal in my Environmentaljob for 30 years Ministersand during this time this is the list of environment in office over the last 30 years ministers that have failed to heed the warnings of the AKF about the plight of the Koala.

The Koala was listed as Vulnerable in Graham Richardson (Labor) Queensland, New South Wales and the Ros Kelly (Labor) John Faulkner (Labor) ACT in May 2012 (Victorian and South Robert Hill (Liberal) Australian Koalas should also have been David Kemp (Liberal) listed) and a Recovery Plan was supposed to Ian Campbell (Liberal) have been written by the end of December Malcolm Turnbull (Liberal) Peter Garrett (Labor) 2014. No such document exists and one

Tony Burke (Labor) would have to consider whether each Federal Mark Butler (Labor) Government since that time has abrogated its Greg Hunt (Liberal) responsibilities to meet the requirements of Josh Frydenberg (Liberal) the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Melissa Price (Liberal) Total 13 Conservation Act (the EPBC Act). All these Ministers and the plight As we approachof the the KFederaloala is election, even w oit rwouldse... be good to hear where you stand.

www.savethekoala.com Do you support the protection of the Koala via the Koala Protection Act?

The document is written and ready to go. The AKF commissioned barristers and others to write the Koala Protection Act. It has been signed off by a retired professor of law who understands the limitations of the EPBC Act. It has been written with fairness in mind, and puts the onus directly on the proponent to prove their activity is benign before construction can occur.

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The Koala Protection Act will ensure:

• There is no room for “take”, which is a nice word for “kill”.

• There is no room for “controlled actions” which allows destruction on sites masquerading as environment work.

• And finally, there are third party rights for the community to call rogue developments to account.

Many environmental organisations, as well as Labor and the Greens want new environmental legislation including an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) type approach to the protection of the environment. The AKF supports this concept, but we do not believe the Koala has the time for such an approach. It is our view that unless the protection of their habitat is enacted quickly, then the fate of the Koala is bleak and well, possibly in your hands.

The Koala Protection Act is modelled on the Bald Eagle Act (US) which works perfectly well with an EPA in that country, provided there is no political interventions.

We await your response via email at [email protected]. We will allocate you a cross if no response is received.

Yours faithfully,

Deborah Tabart OAM Chairman

AUSTRALIA USA - Registered Office USA - Correspondance JAPAN - Donations