Restoring koala habitat – Western Slopes and Plains Koala Management Area
This fact sheet gives an overview of koala populations in this region and how restoring habitat and habitat connectivity can support them.
The Western Slopes and Plains Koala Management Area (KMA 6) extends across central New South Wales, between the Queensland and Victorian borders, from Parkes in the east to the Cobar and Bourke districts in the west.
Large koala populations once lived in this KMA, in particular the Pilliga region and around Gunnedah, Walgett and Moree. Recent surveys have found no evidence of koalas in the Pilliga, and the Gunnedah population appears to fluctuate in size over time periods of decades. A small koala population was established in Narrandera in 1972 through translocation of Victorian animals.
Koalas are found in large low-fertility woodland blocks, small remnant patches and paddock trees in agricultural and urban settings. Relatively high densities of koalas are found on flat lands with fertile black clay soils, such as the Liverpool plains, and riparian areas with river red gums, although these areas are less well studied.
Travelling stock routes, other Crown land reserves and roadside reserves provide important habitat connectivity across this KMA.
Map showing the extent of the Western Slopes and Plains Koala Management Area (KMA), with national parks, state forests, major waterways and roads.
Threats
Koalas and koala habitat in KMA 6 are threatened by:
habitat clearing and fragmentation due to agriculture, increased mining of coal and coal-seam gas, as well as rural residential development
climate change, drought, heatwaves; a large proportion of koalas in Gunnedah died in a 2-week period during heatwaves and drought in 2009 due to dehydration, heat stress and disease
high-intensity fires, which cause koala mortality and temporarily eliminate food sources
vehicle strike
disease, mostly chlamydia
absence of permanent water in some areas, such as the Pilliga
tree die-back and changes in leaf chemistry linked to climate change.
Restoration 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 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 community you aim to establish (for example, woodland, 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 a mixture of trees and shrubs about 6 metres between stems and 7 metres between rows (200 stems/hectare)
spacing for groundcover varies and can be anywhere from one to 6 plants per square metre
plant near waterways if possible.
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:
Acacia – wattle
Brachychiton
Casuarina
Callitris – conifer/cypress.
We recommend you plant a range of high-, significant- and occasional-use tree species from our 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 lists
These tree lists contain recommended tree species for koala habitat within KMA 6. The lists align with local government areas located within this KMA:
Narrow-leaved or thin-leaved stringybark (Eucalyptus eugenioides)
Broad-leaved red ironbark (Eucalyptus fibrosa)
Bundy (Eucalyptus goniocalyx)
Red stringybark (Eucalyptus macrorhyncha)
Maiden’s blue gum (Eucalyptus maidenii)
Yellow box (Eucalyptus melliodora)
Western grey box (Eucalyptus microcarpa)
Large-flowered bundy (Eucalyptus nortonii)
Messmate (Eucalyptus obliqua)
Stringybark (Eucalyptus oblonga)
Grey ironbark (Eucalyptus paniculata)
White Sally or snow gum (Eucalyptus pauciflora)
Sydney peppermint (Eucalyptus piperita)
Red box (Eucalyptus polyanthemos)
White-topped box (Eucalyptus quadrangulata)
Narrow-leaved peppermint (Eucalyptus radiata)
Candlebark (Eucalyptus rubida)
Mugga ironbark (Eucalyptus sideroxylon)
Silvertop ash (Eucalyptus sieberi)
High preferred use
River red gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis)
High use
Black box (Eucalyptus largiflorens)
Yellow box (Eucalyptus melliodora)
Western grey box (Eucalyptus microcarpa)
Significant use
White cypress (Callitris glaucophylla)
Bimble box (Eucalyptus populnea)
Occasional use
Belah (Casuarina cristata)
White box (Eucalyptus albens)
Gum coolibah (Eucalyptus intertexta)
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.
Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH) 2018, A review of koala tree-use across New South Wales. This review identifies important koala food trees across the state by koala management area (KMA).
Contact your local Landcare Group, Local Land Services or local council staff for more information or opportunities.
Koala management plans and habitat studies
Greenloaning and Phillips S 2013, Draft Gunnedah LGA (Part) Comprehensive Koala Plan of Management 2013, Unpublished draft document prepared by Greenloaning BioStudies Pty Ltd in conjunction with Dr S Phillips – Biolink Ecological Services Pty Ltd.
Lemon J, Martin W, Wilson B, Nadolny C and Lunney D 2012, Habitat reconstruction at Gunnedah Research Centre, Gunnedah, New South Wales, Australasian Plant Conservation, 21(2), 9–10.
Lunney D, Lemon J, Crowther MS, Stalenberg E, Ross K and Wheeler R 2012, An ecological approach to koala conservation in a mined landscape, in: Life-of-Mine Conference proceedings, Brisbane, Qld, p 345–354.
Lunney D, Predavec M, Sonawane I, Kavanagh R, Barrott–Brown G, Phillips S and Shannon I 2017, The remaining koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) of the Pilliga forests, north-west New South Wales: refugial persistence or a population on the road to extinction? Pacific Conservation Biology, 23(3), 277–294.