Koalas

• There are more than 2,000 koalas in our region.
• Our koala population is one of the largest in NSW.
• The main threats to koalas in our region are loss of habitat, road strikes and dog attacks.
• Our joint initiatives are setting an example for koala conservation across Australia. 

We are working with all levels of government to protect our koalas and maintain the biodiversity of our region.  Our Koala Recovery Strategy(PDF, 3MB) and Koala Plans of Management aim to ensure the growth of our region is balanced with the protection of the koalas in our area.

In response to the Black Summer Bushfires and legislative inquiry into koalas and their habitat, the NSW Government released a new Koala Strategy on 14 April 2022, aimed at doubling the koala population in NSW by 2050. The NSW Koala Strategy is a commitment by State to spend $193.3 million in the next five years.

Port Macquarie has been identified as one of 19 'koala strongholds' for immediate investment and Council was successful in obtaining State funding for koala habitat mapping.  

Koala Advisory Committee (KAC)

Set out within the funding agreement are the committee membership and terms of reference requirements. Noting that members have already been accepted, the role of the KAC is advisory rather than decision making and is designed to support Council including information sharing with community, advising on any issues as they arise and providing advice on the project.

This page will be updated with the minutes from the committee's regular meetings once they have commenced.

• Meeting #1: 13 June 2025(PDF, 109KB)
• Meeting #2: 15 August 2025(PDF, 100KB)
• Meeting #3: 17 October 2025(PDF, 127KB)

Koala Habitat Mapping methodology

 The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) methodology for identifying survey sites involves:

Data sharing, including PMHC mapping layers from:

DCCEEW then identified “Highly Suitable Koala Habitat” Plant Community Types (PCTs) based on preferred koala food trees and assigned habitat classes. 

Once habitat mapping was complete, 2.5km grids of generational persistence for koala were overlayed and assigned which are generated from Bionet records to assign priority. 

Priority survey sites were then selected by combining the two previous layers to locate areas for survey for koalas where knowledge gaps exist. It is these sites where we will be requesting permission from owners to survey with the koala detector dog.

Dog survey methodology: Dash the Wonder Dog

Working with a GPS tracker on their collar, detector dogs can cover an area in a day that would take most humans two or three to complete. Watch the video below to learn more:

Follow Dash along her koala habitat mapping journey.

Koala (Guula) Habitat Mapping update - January 2026

Council’s Koala Habitat Mapping project continues to make progress across the Port Macquarie Hastings region.

• The project began in May 2025, targeting 202 properties identified by the NSW Koala Strategy
• 77 Priority 1 sites were surveyed, with 31% of landholders granting access to the survey team
• The survey ran from July 2025 to January 2026, confirming koala presence on 50% of the surveyed sites.

Participating landholders received individual survey reports in December 2025, including:

• Koala presence results
• GPS mapping of dog survey tracks
• Botanical results, including koala food trees on their property.

All survey data was uploaded directly to the NSW Koala Strategy via the Survey 123 app. It is now being verified, including cross-checking with field data, updating with the latest BioNet records, and removing areas impacted by roads or recent development.

A draft Koala Habitat Map will be presented to Council staff by the end of February 2026, before being considered by the Koala Advisory Committee in March 2026. Once verified, it will support a proposal to update the Local Environmental Plan (LEP), in line with Council’s November 2022 commitment.

This project is supported with $300,000 funding from the NSW Koala Strategy, helping to protect koala habitat across our region.

Unfortunately, koalas are expected to be extinct by 2050 unless we act to preserve their lives now. One of the biggest threats to our koala population is vehicle road strikes. In 2020, there were 41 reported road strikes in our region involving a koala, and of those 41 strikes, 33 incidents resulted in the death of the koala. 

By changing our behaviours on the road, we can reduce these numbers and trauma for our wildlife, and our community. 

Make sure to slow down when we see signs that tell us wildlife are out and about in the area. You can help by making these small changes:

• Look for road signs and take notice of speed limits
• Slow down in koala zones
• Take extra care at dawn and dusk
• Remember that when you’re on the road, you are in charge of protecting every life.  

We have developed a map to show where koala road strikes occur the most frequently. The data is updated annually in June. You can open the map in a new page by clicking here.

If you see a koala in danger, injured or distressed, contact the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital Rescue Hotline on 6584 1522 (24 hour phone number).

Would you know the signs of a sick or injured koala? Below is a useful koala checklist for you to help our furry friends if you see them in trouble.

Signs a koala may be sick or injured can include:

• red, inflamed or crusty eyes
• very dirty, wet or brown bottom
• signs of injury such as cuts, blood or fur loss
• very skinny
• not using all four limbs when climbing or walking
• sitting at the base of a tree or in the same tree for several days

I spy koala is a citizen science app that allows anyone in NSW to record wild koala sightings. This data is crucial in helping us better understand and protect koalas across NSW and may assist in land use planning, mitigation for roadstrike and assessing impacts to koalas and their habitat. The data is uploaded to NSW Bionet Atlas from the APP.

We are inviting residents and tourists to take the pledge to ‘Drive with Care Be Koala Aware’ to raise awareness and improve safety on our roads for all, including our koalas. Head to our ConnectEd website to learn more and take the pledge!

Dog attacks are a leading threat to local koalas. Take our quick quiz to learn how to keep your pets and wildlife safe. Once you complete the quiz, you’ll be eligible to receive a FREE high-visibility dog leash which can be collected from our Customer Service centres. Find out more and take the Dog Lovers Care quiz.

Council has installed 12 Vehicle Activated Signs (VAS) across six priority hotspots within our LGA.