Koala carers speak up

Koala carers have written to the NSW Premier saying that without koala habitat protection, their work caring for koalas can only be a Band-Aid solution.

"The continuing loss of bushland is not only forcing more koalas into care, it is making it harder every year for carers to find healthy habitat where koalas can be safely released."

They are calling for three key solutions:

Strengthen koala protections in key laws and codes.
Declare the 175,000ha Great Koala National Park and the 7,000ha Sandy Creek Koala Park.
Protect koala habitat from intensified logging under weakened forestry regulations.

Please email your member of NSW Parliament to alert them to this letter and implement these key protections for koalas and their habitat.

Koalas

Dear MP,
I am writing to draw your attention to an <a href="https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/natureorg/pages/3570/attachments/original/1638237341/211130-Letter_to_Premier_Perrottet_-_Wildlife_Carer_Groups.pdf?1638237341">important letter</a> written by organisations caring for koalas on the ground.
These koala carers note that their work protecting koalas is only a Band-Aid solution if koala habitat is not protected: 
"We commend the NSW Government for the substantial investment in koala rescue and rehabilitation outlined in the 2021-22 NSW Budget. These resources are very welcome and will hopefully alleviate animal suffering and help to return rescued koalas to the wild as quickly and safely as possible. 
However, the continuing loss of bushland is not only forcing more koalas into care, it is making it harder every year for carers to find healthy habitat where koalas can be safely released. Until the government meaningfully addresses the critical issue of habitat loss, this investment will be only a Band-Aid solution. 
Consequently, we are eagerly awaiting the NSW Koala Strategy (2021-26). If this strategy does not adequately address habitat loss as a key threat, the NSW Government cannot achieve its stated goal of doubling wild koala numbers by 2050. We therefore call on the government to ensure the NSW Koala Strategy: 
<ol>
<li>Strengthens koala protections in key laws and codes, including the Biodiversity Conservation Act, the Local Land Services Act, the Private Native Forestry codes and the 2021 Koala Habitat Protection SEPP;   </li>
<li>Declares the 175,000ha Great Koala National Park and the 7,000ha Sandy Creek Koala Park on North Coast and new koala national parks for southwestern and western Sydney; and </li>
<li>Protects koala habitat from intensified logging under weakened forestry regulations (the Coastal Integrated Forestry Operations Approval). "</li>
</ol>
These solutions are very reasonable and will do a lot to protect koalas in NSW. I therefore ask that you work to have these goals implemented to effectively protect koalas and their habitat.
Yours sincerely,

I would like to BCC myself