FBA Koala projects in the Clarke Connors Range

Posted on June 11th, 2024

About koalas

Koalas and their habitat in eastern and southeastern Australia have significantly declined over the past two centuries. They have been impacted by bushfires, road accidents, dog attacks, and habitat destruction. Since 2022, koalas have been listed as endangered in Queensland, NSW, and the ACT under the EPBC Act.

About the project

In 2023 the Fitzroy Basin Association was awarded $4.5 million from the Australian Government’s Saving Koalas Fund to restore and protect koala habitat in areas of significant koala populations in the Clarke-Connors Range.

The Clarke-Connors Range is one of the largest wilderness areas in Queensland and has one of the most significant koala populations in regional Queensland. Over the past year FBA has partnered with graziers to improve koala habitat on grazing properties in the area. Works delivered over 1,000 ha of high value and very high value koala habitat on grazing properties include weed control, fencing to improve cattle management, off stream watering points to improve cattle management and dedicated koala habitat and koala surveys.

Collectively these works are improving koala habitat by reducing the fire risk posed by dense infestations of woody weeds, promoting the regeneration of native trees including koala food trees and improving our knowledge of koalas and their habitat in our region.

The success of the project relies on local land managers wiliness to adopt management techniques and install infrastructure that protects or restores koala habitat. Well versed at balancing sustainability and production outcomes for CQ growers and graziers, FBA’s environmental and agricultural team will work together to find the best solutions for land managers and koalas.

Koala friendly farms

The Clarke Connors Range area contains large areas of significant koala habitat on grazing properties and other private land. Koalas commonly co-exist with cattle grazing and can benefit from management actions conducted for grazing. Particularly actions that reduce the risk of high intensity bush fires such as woody weed control, reducing feral predators, and allowing native trees to regenerate in koala habitat.

Want to be a koala citizen scientist?

Improving knowledge of where koalas occur can dramatically improve management and conservation outcomes for koalas. Anyone who is lucky enough to see a koala in central Queensland is encouraged to report it using the BioCollect app on their mobile phones.

https://www.ala.org.au/biocollect/

Check out the below video to learn more about getting involved!

This project is funded by the Australian Government’s Saving Koalas Fund.