As the private navy of Sea Shepherd was directly responsible for saving whale populations, the numbers of which are now in plague proportions again; there is an obvious answer for the preservation of Koala populations.

Of course, the above comes with confrontation which is not always popular.

Dan

Koalas! The so called leaders of this country need to start showing respect and care for people before they spend time thinking about animals.

Koalas are really expert at surviving in the Australian bush including wild fires.
The Australian Koala conservancy is really expert at touching up punters and government and getting money from them.
Between them the Koalas are not going to go extinct and the Aust Koala conserving mob are not going broke.
Hey it is always good when someone shows how "Woke" they are, how caring and how much they love other people money.
Are we all happy now?

An interesting article that acknowledges the range of views on what is a complex issue, but ultimately lets itself down by choosing a side based on what appears to be little more than the author's personal leanings and a want to believe that a Government Committee (chaired by the Greens no less) has irrefutable credibility.

The problem with this issue (and others involving forest-based wildlife) is the over-reliance on the views of ecologists and activists with no practical appreciation of forest management, despite the reality that the conservation of such species is intricately intertwined with the state of forests and how they are managed.

The author is happy to refer to affected industry and its workers as lobbyists, but somehow neglects to mention that those on the other side, such as the NSW National Parks Association which is the proponent of the idea of ending timber production as the species' saviour, are also lobby groups campaigning on ideological (as distinct from practical) grounds.

Contrary to eco-activist ideologues, those with a strong practical appreciation of koala habitat and distribution have noted that the species thrives in areas where there is a surplus of vigorous young tree growth with soft, succulent foliage. Such areas include regrowth from past logging and fire, and eucalypt timber plantations. Indeed, in SW Victoria, koalas have exploded to plague proportions in blue gum plantations established from the mid-1990s.

On the other hand, forest areas 'preserved' in national parks can grow old and moribund and progressively become unsuitable for koalas - until the next fire renews the trees. The Tantawanglo Koala Nature Reserve is an example of what can happen when areas are set aside specifically for koalas -- within 20 years, the species had moved out into surrounding State Forests where limited logging had created a more favourable mix of old trees and young regrowth.

DD,
The only species in plague proportions is Homo Sapiens.
A virus and a parasite on this planet.

Only couple of years ago we were told that thre ere so many koala bears on kangaroo island that they needed to be culled, and that the SA government was considering using shooters to shoot koala bears out of the trees.

Now we are told that they are facing extinction.

Somebody is telling porky pies. I think this is another "crown of thorns" issue. Somebody just wants more government money for their own little bureaucratic empire. we were once told that unless the government took action, now, the crown of thorns was going to destroy the Great Barrier Reef. But the reef and the crown of thorns are still there.