Koalas to be listed as threatened species after numbers plunge

Australia’s gum-tree munching koalas are set to be listed as a threatened species in some parts of the country next week after a plunge in the wild population due to habitat destruction, road deaths and disease.

Australian environment minister Tony Burke is expected to list koalas in south-east Queensland as “endangered”, and those in east New South Wales as “vulnerable” on Monday, according to local reports.

That will mean the furry marsupials will get federal government protection for their habitats in those areas, with conditions imposed on plans including mining projects, logging operations and housing developments.

But koala advocates and environmental groups say such a move, under pressure from industry groups, would not go far enough. Deborah Tabart, the chief executive of the Australian Koala Foundation said: “Minister Burke has already foreshadowed that he is not going to protect koalas across the whole landscape.

“Because I have been in my job for so long and I sat through the senate enquiries last year, I know industry is afraid of a listing and I know they have lobbied very hard.

“The logging industry, the development industry and forestry all pleaded with the senators last year, please do not list.”

Estimates on koala numbers vary but some studies suggest there are fewer than 80,000 koalas left in the wild, and they are now under combined pressures of habitat destruction and climate change.

Research conducted 250 miles north-west of Sydney, has shown numbers have declined by 75 per cent since 1993.