Koalas in our suburbs

South East Queensland is home to one of Australia's largest population of koalas. But these koalas are under threat - every day, koalas in SEQ fight to survive in the face of rapid urbanisation, resulting in the clearing of their bushland habitat, increased rates of stress-related disease, and increased mortality due, for example, to vehicle hits and dog attacks.

Two specialist Koala Hospitals are available to assist sick, injured and orphaned koalas in South East Queensland - the Moggill Koala Hospital (MKH) and the Australian Wildlife Hospital, Beerwah (AWH). Information collated by DERM on koalas delivered to these hospitals in the period 1997 to March 2008 has produced the following disturbing statistics regarding the effects of urbanisation on koalas.

A few tips on how you can make sure our koalas are for keeps

Koalas on our roads

Dead Koalas by the roadside
Photo: DERM South East Queensland is home to one of Australia's largest population of koalas. But these koalas are under threat - every day, koalas in SEQ fight to survive in the face of rapid urbanisation, resulting in the clearing of their bushland habitat, increased rates of stress-related disease, and increased mortality due, for example, to vehicle hits and dog attacks.

Fact: Approximately 340 koalas are delivered to MKH and AWH each year due to injury caused by vehicle strikes. Approximately 275 of these are either already dead or must be immediately euthanased due to the seriousness of their injuries. That is, around 80% of vehicle strikes are fatal.

Look for "koalas cross here" signs, slow down and be alert for koalas crossing roads particularly at night.
Report injured or dead koalas on the roadside via DERM Hotline 1300 130 372, or the RSPCA on 1300 ANIMAL, or to your local wildlife rescue service.
For more detailed information on koalas and vehicles, download: Koalas and cars

Koalas in your backyard

Photo: DERM Fact: Approximately 110 koalas are delivered to MKH and AWH each year due to injury caused by dog attacks. Approximately 84 of these are either already dead or must be immediately euthanased due to the seriousness of their injuries. That is, around 76% of dog attacks are fatal.

Check the trees in your yard to see if there are koalas present.
Keep your dogs confined or restrained at night.
Check with your local Council to see what dog owners are required to do by law to protect koalas from dog attack.
Remember that a dog doesn't need to bite a koala to seriously harm it - a barking dog can severely or fatally stress a koala.
For more detailed information on koalas and dogs, see: Koalas and dogs
Fence off a play area to separate from the rest of your yard for your dog. This will allow koalas to move freely through your yard without being harassed by your dog.

Note: this fencing should be "koala exclusion" fencing where koalas have no way of entering the fenced area. This type of fencing must be at least 1.5m high and made of solid material e.g. tin, colourbond or chainwire with sheet metal attached to the top. There must also be no gaps in the fence, nor any trees or shrubs which grow or overhang within 3m of the fence.

Photo: DERM
Plant some koala food trees in your yard.
To allow koalas to move freely in and out of the rest of your yard, you can make your fencing "koala friendly" using:
- A climbable fence - use materials such as timber post and rail, chain wire or slat fences with a minimum 1cm gap between slats.
- A fence that can be passed through or over - 30cm gap from the first rail or strand.
- Have planks/panels placed horizontally along the top of the fence providing a walkway.
- Vegetation planted either side of the fence close enough for koalas to move from one side to the other.
- Wooden poles with a minimum width of 10cm placed at a 45° angle with the base away from the fence.

For additional diagrams on fauna friendly fencing, go to the Redlands City Council website.

Koalas in your pool

Fact: Koalas can, and do, drown in home swimming pools.

If you have a pool, place a pool cover over it, making sure it is tight and secure, or attach a large diameter (50 mm) rope (marine rope is ideal) reaching up to half way across the pool with a float at the end. Anchor it securely away from the edge of the pool - koalas will be able to pull themselves out of the pool using the "escape rope".

New pools

Where no pools exist, the emphasis must be on pre-planning proper safety precautions for preventing wildlife from drowning, as extracted from the Nature Conservation (Koala) Conservation Plan 2006 and Management Program 2006-2016 (the Koala Plan). Child-exclusion fencing is a mandatory requirement from swimming pools in Queensland (Building Act 1975 and Australian Standard, AS 1926-1986), but many compliant fences will not necessarily exclude koalas, particularly small juveniles. On the other hand, any pool fence that will exclude koalas (e.g. the presently popular transparent, glass or "perspex" designs) will certainly help prevent the tragedy of a child drowning.

Action: Any swimming pool constructed in Koala Habitat Areas must incorporate one or more of the following measures:

The pool is constructed with a 'beach' type access where the pool water is level with part of the surrounding pavement, allowing koalas to move out of the pool; and
The pool is constructed with steps, etc. that are of a size and surface that will permit koalas to exit the pool (conventional steel or plastic (fibreglass composite) ladders are not an acceptable solution); or
Koala exclusion fencing is provided around the pool - for example glass or "perspex" pool fencing designs that have negligible gaps at the bottom and between panels and the gate can provide an acceptable solution.

Movement patterns of koalas

Photo: DERM Fact: Koalas walk along the ground and can travel long distances to get to a tree. On the ground, koalas are particularly vulnerable to the threats posed by dogs and traffic.

Koalas will move across a variety of landscapes including your lawn, bushland, or rural block, sporting fields, golf courses, roads, footpaths and open areas.
The Nature Conservation (Koala) Conservation Plan 2006 and Management Program 2006 - 2016 (the Koala Plan) recognises that koalas are exposed to a range of threats and seeks to provide safe passage for koalas to move by protecting trees and movement corridors within Koala Habitat Areas. Even cleared areas have an important role in maintaining connectivity between koala populations and their habitat.
If you see a koala climb down a tree to move, please stand still and allow the koala to move freely to its desired destination.

For more details on koala biology and description see Koala

Koalas and development

The Koala Plan is the Queensland Government's principal legislation to address koala conservation issues. Amongst other things, the Koala Plan sets down development requirements to be followed in Koala Habitat Areas mapped under the Plan.

For detailed information on koalas and development download: Development in Koala Habitat Areas in the South East Queensland Region

To view the Koala Plan, download: Nature Conservation (Koala) Conservation Plan 2006 and Management Program 2006 - 2016

Useful links for further information

For further DERM information on koalas, such as koala spotter and sequential clearing requirements of the Koala Plan, see: www.epa.qld.gov.au/nature_conservation/wildlife/koala_information

For Local Government information on koalas, see:

Redland City Council (search "koala")
Moreton Bay Regional Council: (search "koala")
Brisbane City Council
Logan City Council
Gold Coast City Council

Last updated: 20 April 2009

Koalas

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Koalas in our suburbs