The new Minister for the Environment and Heritage Penny Sharpe has instructed the National Parks and Wildlife Service to commence work on providing permanent protection to a key wildlife corridor on land owned by Sydney Water in Woronora Heights.
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This was an element of the Labor Party policy, announced during the election, "to save koalas from extinction in NSW by protecting key habitats and restoring environmental protections torn up by the Liberals and Nationals over the past 12 years".
The Woronora Heights land was saved from development by a community campaign, supported by Ms Sharpe and new Labor member for Heathcote Maryanne Stuart.
Ms Stuart said she had been notified the colony was up to 155 koalas.
"Residents in Woronora Heights and surrounding suburbs will be so pleased that we have already delivered on our first local commitment to save this vital koala habitat," she said.
The government's plan to save koalas from extinction in NSW includes:
- Creating a Great Koala National Park on the Mid North Coast of NSW.
- Creating a Georges River Koala National Park in South West Sydney.
- Assessing all public land in the Heathcote area to identify and protect wildlife corridors to link the Heathcote National Park, the Royal National Park and Dharawal National Park, supporting the growth of a newly discovered koala population.
- Complete the National Parks and Wildlife Service 'National Parks Establishment Plan' to identify key habitat and wildlife corridors and expand protected areas into the future.
- Convene a koala summit with all key stakeholders to review and refocus the NSW Koala Strategy to ensure it is a legitimate recovery plan for koala populations across NSW.
- Ensure the statutory review of the Biodiversity Conservation Act strengthens environmental protections, stops run away land clearing, and fixes the biodiversity offset scheme.
- Work cooperatively with landowners (public agencies, First Nations, Councils, farmers and other private land holders) to develop ways to protect key habitat through partnerships & investment on all types of land.
- Work cooperatively with the Commonwealth Government to meet the objectives of the Threatened Species Action Plan 2022-2032 and the 30 per cent protected areas by 2030 commitment to meet the goal of no new extinctions.
Murray Trembath
St George and Sutherland Shire Leader reporter covering politics, urban affairs, council, development and general community news. Email: mtrembath@theleader.com.au
St George and Sutherland Shire Leader reporter covering politics, urban affairs, council, development and general community news. Email: mtrembath@theleader.com.au
