Northern Inland Koala Conservation Tender
The Biodiversity Conservation Trust is advertising the Northern Inland Koala Conservation Tender for the protection of koala habitat within the Armidale Regional and Uralla Local Government Area’s.
Northern Inland Koala conservation tender (PDF 3MB)
Information sessions (PDF 2MB)
The Northern Tablelands Koala Partnership Project
The Northern Tablelands Koala Partnership Project recently held a Koalas in the Spotlight event at Newholme Field Laboratory UNE.
The Northern Tablelands Koala Partnership Project aims to secure the survival of koalas in the wild throughout the Northern Tablelands region for at least the next 100 years. This region has been identified as an important area for the future of koalas. It has several koala populations that are not subject to the same population and development pressures as those on the coast. The region may also be more resilient to the impacts of a changing climate.Council is a partner on this project and has been monitoring the local Koala population through the Koala Sighting Register on the Council website. Since 2010 over 350 Koala sightings have been recorded.
For more information on this important project visit the Southern New England Landcare website or like the Southern New England Landcare Facebook page to stay up-to-date.
How many Koalas have been sighted in Armidale?
A total of 340 sightings (PDF 1.3MB) have been registered since 2010.
Information on Koalas in Armidale
Koalas are becoming more active and we may see more of them in urban areas due to the dry conditions. Koalas are solitary animals sometimes living in groups within a home range. Male koalas will move over a wider area seeking females and new territories particularly during breeding times. Residents have reported koalas crossing local roads, in trees in their backyards, along the creeklands and once in a street tree near the town centre.
All of us can support koalas by:
- Providing valuable habitat for koalas by simply planting local koala feed trees. Koalas are often seen in a small local park in west Armidale that has only a few gum trees in it. Koalas also rely on non-eucalypt understorey plants such as wattles, for shelter and behavioural purposes and during times of hot weather or drought.
- Keeping dogs secured while you are not at home and preferably indoors at night.
- Erecting koala friendly fences - open form fencing (wire, post and rail) or paling, not panels. If you have seen koalas in your area, consider a fence bridge if you have a colorbond fence.
- If you live in a peri-urban area, maintaining healthy bushland and plant a variety of local feed trees and shrubs.
- Driving slowly and cautiously around Armidale, particularly at night.
- If you have a swimming pool, draping a secured piece of rope, shade cloth or gutter guard into the pool will enable koalas to climb out if they fall in.
Koalas thrive best in large areas of continuous woodland. Around Armidale fragmentation of woodland makes it harder for young koalas to find new home ranges and adult koalas to find mating partners. Urban expansion with increased road traffic, residential fencing and domestic dogs are all factors can cause a decline in the local koala population.
Koalas are an important part of Australia's natural and cultural heritage. Alarmingly, up to 75% of koalas have disappeared from their wider distribution in earlier times. The koala is now listed as a vulnerable species in NSW.
Check out our Koalas and their Survival Brochure! (PDF 861.7KB)
What do I need to do if I see a Koala in the Armidale area?
If you see a koala in the Armidale area, please complete and submit your sighting with the online sightings register here or download the I Spy Koala app from the App Store or Google Play.
Once we know where they live and where they travel, we can begin to protect our koalas and their habitat.
Koala Drinkers report (PDF 1.4MB)
Armidale Koala Management Strategy 2021 (PDF 8.3MB)