NSW Government
Environment and Heritage

Restoring koala habitat – Central Coast Koala Management Area

This fact sheet describes koala populations in this region and how to restore the variety of habitats they use.

 

Many koala populations are found in the Central Coast Koala Management Area (KMA 2), which extends from Newcastle in the north to Wollongong/Shellharbour in the south.

Koala populations are located around Campbelltown, the Blue Mountains, Lower Hunter Valley, Brisbane Water National Park, Gosford, Woy Woy, Wollemi National Park, the Colo River area, Yengo National Park, the Canyonleigh area, and the Wingecarribee and Wollondilly River areas. Scattered populations also occur in other areas.

Koalas occur in the extremely varied habitat types of this KMA, from coastal lowlands to the Blue Mountains hinterland and the Southern Highlands. It includes a high diversity of koala feed tree species.

Koalas in this KMA often prefer moist valleys and gullies, but they also move along cliff edges, and use drier ridges, slopes, and rock caves on hot days. 

Map showing the extent of the Central Coast Koala Management Area (KMA), with national parks, state forests, major waterways and roads.
Map showing the extent of the Central Coast Koala Management Area (KMA), with national parks, state forests, major waterways and roads.
Map showing the extent of the Central Coast Koala Management Area (KMA), with national parks, state forests, major waterways and roads.

ThreatsThreats

Koalas and koala habitat in KMA 2 are threatened by:

  • habitat clearing and fragmentation due to development along the coast
  • vehicle strike and domestic dog attack
  • high-intensity or high-frequency fires, which cause koala mortality and temporarily eliminate food sources
  • competition from rainforest species into eucalypt-dominated koala habitat, which can excessively shade eucalypts and inhibit growth of seedlings
  • dense growth of weeds, such as lantana, which can inhibit koala movement
  • diseases such as chlamydia and koala retrovirus
  • dieback across a range of plant species due to climate changes, bell miners and insects
  • potential negative impact of myrtle rust on eucalypts
  • potential impact of sea level rise.

Restoration of habitatRestoration of habitat

Habitat restoration aims to reduce threats to koalas, increase habitat and help conserve koala populations.

Read our Koala habitat restoration guidelines (the guidelines) for evidence-based recommendations and best-practice methods for restoring koala habitat.

Choosing an approachChoosing an approach

Before you choose a restoration approach, such as natural regeneration, assisted regeneration, reintroductions or a combination of these, carefully assess your site and identify:

  • which plant community you aim to reinstate
  • whether the site has existing native vegetation on it. If native vegetation exists, try to facilitate natural regeneration before planting or direct seeding. The guidelines have more information.

Plant spacing

Plant spacing can vary depending on the vegetation structure you aim to establish (that is, woodland, open forest or tall open forest). Trees should be planted far enough apart to have good tree form or lateral branches and to allow enough light through for native grasses, shrubs and ferns to thrive.

Some tips for planting:

  • Plant trees 8–10 metres apart (150 trees/hectare).
  • Tree spacing less than 8 metres should be avoided to ensure shade-intolerant understorey plants can thrive and provide habitat for other animals.
  • Plant shrubs 3–5 metres apart (400–625 shrubs/hectare), depending on the size of shrubs.
  • Spacing for groundcover varies and can be anywhere from one to 6 plants per square metre.
  • Density of trees and shrubs can vary from 400–1,000 per hectare.

Trees koalas prefer

Koalas use a broad range of tree species for food, shelter, rest and socialising.

Koalas usually feed within trees of the Eucalyptus genus, but they use many non-eucalypt species for shelter and sometimes feed on trees from genera such as:

  • Melaleuca – paperbark/tea tree
  • Acacia – wattle
  • Allocasuarina – she oak.

We recommend you plant a range of high-, significant- and occasional-use tree species from the Recommended tree species list.

Not all species will be relevant for all sites.

When you choose trees to plant, consider whether:

  • species are locally native
  • species are suitable for your site in terms of landscape position, such as near a creek, on a slope or ridge
  • you have chosen a mix of species that koalas will use for food, shelter and social activities
  • you have included shrubs and groundcover species as well as tree species.

Tree species listsTree species lists

These tree lists contain recommended tree species for koala habitat within KMA 2. The lists align with local government areas located within this KMA:

Central coast

  • Bayside
  • Blacktown
  • Blue Mountains
  • Burwood
  • Camden
  • Campbelltown
  • Canada Bay
  • Canterbury–Bankstown
  • Central Coast
  • Cessnock
  • City of Parramatta
  • Cumberland
  • Fairfield
  • Georges River
  • Hawkesbury
  • Hornsby
  • Hunters Hill
  • Inner West
  • Ku-Ring-Gai
  • Lake Macquarie
  • Lane Cove
  • Liverpool
  • Mosman
  • Muswellbrook
  • Newcastle
  • North Sydney
  • Northern Beaches
  • Penrith
  • Randwick
  • Ryde
  • Singleton
  • Strathfield
  • Sutherland Shire
  • Sydney
  • The Hills Shire
  • Waverley
  • Willoughby
  • Wollondilly
  • Woollahra

South coast

  • Shellharbour
  • Wollongong

Northwest Slopes

  • Upper Hunter

Central and Southern Tablelands

  • Wingecarribee

Useful resources Useful resources

These resources provide further information about koala food trees across New South Wales, management plans and strategies local councils have in place to help conserve koala populations.

Koala tree-use information

Koala management plans and habitat studies

  • Eco Logical Australia 2015, Bingara Gorge Koala Plan of Management, prepared by Eco Logical Australia for Lend Lease Communities Wilton.
  • Madani G 2014, Preliminary investigation into the status of koalas in the Upper Wingecarribee Shire, NSW with recommendations for future work, prepared by George Madani on behalf of the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage and Wingecarribee Shire Council.
  • Philips S 2018, Campbelltown Comprehensive Koala Plan of Management, prepared by Biolink for Campbelltown City Council (revised draft).