The Senate Environment and Communications References Committee The koala—saving our national icon September 2011 © Commonwealth of Australia 2011 ISBN 978-1-74229-524-4 This document was printed by the Senate Printing Unit, Parliament House, Canberra Committee membership Committee members to 30 June 2011 Senator Mary Jo Fisher (LP, SA) (Chair) Senator Doug Cameron (ALP, NSW) (Deputy Chair) Senator the Hon. Ron Boswell (NATS, QLD) Senator Scott Ludlam (AG, WA) Senator the Hon. Judith Troeth (LP, VIC) Senator Dana Wortley (ALP, SA) Committee members from 1 July 2011 Senator Mary Jo Fisher (LP, SA) (Chair) Senator Doug Cameron (ALP, NSW) (Deputy Chair) (from 5 July 2011) Senator Catryna Bilyk (ALP, TAS) (from 5 July 2011) Senator the Hon. Ron Boswell (NATS, QLD) Senator Alex Gallacher (ALP, SA) (to 5 July 2011) Senator Scott Ludlam (AG, WA) (to 5 July 2011) Senator Bridget McKenzie (NATS, VIC) Senator the Hon. Lisa Singh (ALP, TAS) (to 5 July 2011) Senator Larissa Waters (AG, QLD) (from 5 July 2011) Substitute member for this inquiry Senator Bob Brown (AG, TAS) to replace Senator Larissa Waters (from 7 July 2011) Participating members for this inquiry Senator Richard Di Natale (AG, VIC) Senator Larissa Waters (AG, QLD) Committee secretariat Mr Stephen Palethorpe, Secretary Ms Sophie Dunstone, Principal Research Officer Mr Christopher Lawley, Senior Research Officer Ms Jacquie Hawkins, Research Officer Mrs Dianne Warhurst, Administrative Officer Committee address PO Box 6100 Parliament House Canberra ACT 2600 Tel: 02 6277 3526 Fax: 02 6277 5818 Email: [email protected] Internet: www.aph.gov.au/senate/committee/ec_ctte/index.htm iii iv Table of Contents Committee membership ................................................................................... iii Recommendations .............................................................................................. ix Abbreviations and Acronyms ........................................................................ xiii Executive Summary .......................................................................................... xv Introduction .......................................................................................................... xv Threats ................................................................................................................. xvi Population and threatened species listing ........................................................... xvii National Koala Conservation and Management Strategy .................................xviii Conclusion ........................................................................................................... xix Chapter 1 - Introduction .................................................................................... 1 Conduct of the inquiry ............................................................................................ 1 Accessibility trial .................................................................................................... 2 Report structure ...................................................................................................... 2 Acknowledgements ................................................................................................ 3 Species information ................................................................................................ 3 Species range – historic and current ....................................................................... 7 Chapter 2 - Koala population .......................................................................... 13 The importance of koala population data ............................................................. 13 Counting methodologies ....................................................................................... 15 Historical estimates of Australia's koala population ............................................ 23 Current estimates of Australia's koala population ................................................ 27 Concerns with current estimates ........................................................................... 38 The way forward ................................................................................................... 42 Committee comment ............................................................................................ 44 v Chapter 3 - Threats to koala habitat: urban development, forestry, mining, drought, bushfire and climate change .................................................. 51 Urban development .............................................................................................. 52 Forestry ................................................................................................................. 62 Mining .................................................................................................................. 71 Drought, bushfires and climate change ................................................................ 74 Committee comment ............................................................................................ 77 Chapter 4 - Other threats: disease, dogs and motor vehicles ....................... 81 Disease .................................................................................................................. 81 Predation by dogs ................................................................................................. 91 Motor vehicles ...................................................................................................... 99 Chapter 5 - The status of koalas under the law ........................................... 103 Conservation status of the koala ......................................................................... 104 Listing under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act . 110 Committee comment .......................................................................................... 125 Chapter 6 - The National Koala Conservation and Management Strategy ............................................................................................................ 129 The National Koala Conservation Strategy 1998 ............................................... 129 The National Koala Conservation and Management Strategy 2009–2014 ........ 132 Evaluation of the National Koala Conservation and Management Strategy ...... 134 Committee comment .......................................................................................... 137 State-based koala management plans ................................................................. 139 Appendix 1 - Submissions, tabled documents, additional information and answers to questions taken on notice ..................................................... 143 Submissions ........................................................................................................ 143 Tabled documents ............................................................................................... 146 Additional information ....................................................................................... 147 Answers to questions taken on notice ................................................................ 148 vi Appendix 2 - Petitioning documents ............................................................. 151 Petition from Koala Preservation Society of NSW Inc ...................................... 151 Petition from Ms Meghan Halverson ................................................................. 151 Appendix 3 - Public hearings ......................................................................... 153 Appendix 4 - Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Regulations 2000, Regulation 7.01: Criteria for listing threatened species ................................................................................ 157 vii viii Recommendations Recommendation 1 2.144 The committee recommends that the Australian Government fund research into the genetic diversity of the koala including a population viability assessment of the southern koala and determining priority areas for conservation nationally. Recommendation 2 2.147 The committee recommends that the Australian Government fund a properly designed, funded and implemented national koala monitoring and evaluation program across the full range of the koala. Recommendation 3 2.153 The committee recommends that the Australian Government establish a nationally coordinated and integrated program for population monitoring of threatened species and other culturally, evolutionary and/or economically significant species. Recommendation 4 2.155 The committee recommends that the Australian Government assist the koala research community and interested organisations to work towards a standardised set of methodologies for estimating koala populations. Recommendation 5 2.160 The committee recommends that the Threatened Species Scientific Committee provide clearer information to the Environment Minister in all future threatened species listing advices, including species population information, and that the Threatened Species Scientific Committee review its advice to the Minister on the listing of the koala in light of the findings of this inquiry. ix Recommendation 6 3.127 The committee recommends that the Australian Government undertake habitat mapping across the koala's national range, including the identification of priority areas of koala conservation, with a view to listing important habitat under the provisions of the Environment Protection