What: Save Our Koalas Rally
When: Friday 19 April at 11am
Where: Community Park Church St Mudgee
Speakers: Jacqui Mumford, CEO Nature Conservation Council of NSW, Mick Boller, Mudgee Region Action Group, Bev Smiles, Mudgee Coal Alert
The Mudgee community will mobilise on Friday to highlight the threats to the local koala populations as multiple mining projects impact their habitat.
The Save Our Koalas Rally, organised by Mudgee District Environment Group and supported by Nature Conservation Council NSW, will call on the NSW Government to recognise Mudgee’s koalas in the NSW Koala Strategy.
“Our koalas are facing annihilation from multiple major projects that will wipe out hundreds of hectares of koala habitat,” said Bev Smiles, spokesperson for the Mudgee District Environment Group.
There are two mining projects currently in train that will have a significant impact on the Mudgee Region’s koala populations:
- The ‘Bowden Silver Mine’ has recently been approved by the NSW Government to clear 381.7 hectares of core koala habitat. It is not yet approved by the Federal Government.
- The Moolarben Coal Mine is seeking approval to clear 113 hectares of koala habitat for a mine expansion.
Statements attributable to Bev Smiles, Mudgee District Environment Group
“The current NSW Koala Strategy has excluded this significant koala population leaving Mudgee’s koalas at risk of localised extinction.”
“It is critical that the koalas here are protected, not sidelined.”
Statements attributable to NCC Chief Executive Officer Jacqui Mumford
“I am traveling to Mudgee to support the community’s efforts to protect this critical koala population currently threatened by mining.
“Across NSW koalas are under threat from mining, logging and habitat clearing. In this instance, a woefully inadequate koala management strategy risks seeing two of the most important areas of koala habitat destroyed.
“If we can’t turn this species decline around, in NSW koalas face extinction in the wild by 2050. It is critical that remaining koala habitat is appropriately mapped, prioritised and protected.”
Statements attributable to Mick Boller, Mudgee Region Action Group
“The Lue area has a significant Koala population and core Koala habitat threatened by mining. Local people have been recording regular sightings of Koala in our area.
“We are depending on the Federal Minister for the Environment, Tanya Plibersek, to protect this endangered species under Federal law.”
Statement ends
Media contact: Anna Greer
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