Queensland Koala Conservation Collective

07/09/2026

🚨Today is National Threatened Species Day.
🪦90 years ago today, the last thylacine (Tasmanian Tiger) died in captivity.

❓But, what are we doing to make sure it doesn't happen again?

🌏Qld is home to some of the most unique wildlife on Earth.
🐸Yet, Qld has >1,000 threatened animal and plant species. 🦘🦎🦜
🐨 And the koala is one of them.

🐾 In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, koala populations were decimated by hunting and habitat destruction.
🌳Despite decades of warnings, habitat continued to be cleared and fragmented
🚨As a result, the koala was listed as endangered in Qld in 2022.
🪾Yet, still we destroy remnant and regrowth - koala homes - and sever their corridors.
✅We tick checkboxes and pay offsets and set conditions - that may make us feel good but it sure doesn't consider our koalas.

💔The thylacine shows us where a lack of responsibility, social conscience and competence ends. We’ve lost them forever.
🐨The koala is still here – but if we want to keep it that way, our state and government reps must do more.

Koalas need them to:
🌳Protect and restore habitat and corridors
🏗️Improve independence and rigour of ecological reports and consider cumulative impacts of development.
📊 Set measurable population and habitat targets - and publicly report whether they are actually being achieved.

07/09/2026

How sad is it that we know what we're doing but continue on the same path anyway. We really are the apex predator of wildlife.

Microbats and wombats among the most common species found in buildings, with some discovered in letter boxes or air conditioning systems

07/09/2026

Thoughts please!

AUSTRALIA – A STONE AGE ENVIRONMENTAL EXPERIENCE.

This year has been a horror story. Let’s take the historic lawsuit over the Victorian government’s approval allowing the helicopter shooting of koalas of more than 1000 koalas in Budj Bim National Park in March/April 2025. In June 2025, our mother group, Australians for Animals Inc (AFA), challenged the Victorian government’s approval, filing a lawsuit in the Supreme Court.

12 months later AFA continues to wait for a judgement over the government’s May challenge attempting to dismiss the lawsuit and deny AFA standing (the right to proceed with the challenge). The charity’s legal team has been very surprised by the on-going legal saga as DEECA tries every possible delaying tactic.

It all should have been over within the year. The delays are setting a record. Wondering why ?

As the slaughter was agreed to in secret, carried out in secret until a neighbor realized what was going on, approved by five major environmental animal welfare organisations who agreed to the government’s secrecy. After the helicopter slaughter no ground truthing, no autopsies, no corpses, no names of who authorized, blah blah.. the ongoing lawsuit provides compelling evidence of what WE ARE UP AGAINST. The community versus the government(s) we the people elected , based on their demonstrable false promises.

Does that sound like how a democracy is supposed to work ?

Then the disastrous January/February Victorian bushfires incinerating countless numbers of wildlife, particularly koalas kangaroos, bats.. so many species..and no population estimates available after the fires, no mortality numbers, no info. Shelters and rescuers threatened by the government if they didn’t bar the media and hand over injured and burned koalas.

The duck hunt.. close to half a million waterbirds in 2025, this year the Vic government just averaged out the numbers over ten years.

In NSW, the proposed great koala national park has had the sh..t ripped out of it with over 10,000 hectares logged according to an ecologist friend.. big swathes of core koala habitats in native forests swiped by NSW government with a new name ( plantations) and easy peasy legislation supporting massive harvesting and a whiff only of any wildlife protection in the newly created plantations !

And we can’t have the park legislated unless it becomes an offset for carbon emissions .. ensuring that Australia will continue to do its job in stuffing up the climate by approving more and more fossil fuel projects. Bird flu about to start raging, the worst El Nino in history about to descend with droughts, heatwaves, hurricanes… floods..

We can’t forget the terrible cruelty perpetrated on brumbies.. the terror as they try to flee the helicopters, mares dying giving birth, the cruelty is absolutely mindless and no sane person would support.

Then there’s the RSPCA’s who do SFA and are seen is an arm of governments wanting to carry out brutal, callous, cruel, inhumane horror stories against animals.

Koala Crisis has a deep deep sense of grief over what’s happening to animals. Grief and anger as our governments, political parties, mainstream media turn their respective backs on critical animal issues. Those of you who care feel exactly the same grief and anger..

We are a tribe of angry animal guardians.. and now is the time to bring about change.

So how do we do it ? The US Civil Rights movement made it happen building a movement that began in living rooms, educating neighbors, building community - which is so important. Community is strength. It’s a great way to build a national network.

Maybe, we could agree to one small action every day. Canvas your neighborhood, find out which cafes, supermarkets care about animals and are angry over the upsurge in cruelty.
Just getting the lay of the land and finding people willing to go further. To become a voice for the voiceless by educating (gently no pushing no judgement).. people listen. People care.

Over 200,000 Australians protested in less than a week over the cruelty inflicted by the helicopter shooting of the brumbies in Kosciuszko National Park. Hundreds of thousands more have protested, held rallies, taken out lawsuits.

It’s the biggest outpouring of public anger seen in years.

Hey it’s about the unforgiveable cruelty inflicted on our animal brethren. There are benign ways to bring down animal populations and limit growth. Gunning down wild horses, koalas, kangaroos, from helicopters is aggravated unforgiveable cruelty.

Koala Crisis invites suggestions on how we might be effective in bringing about change. With all the techno we have, distance isn’t a barrier !

It’s time!

04/09/2026

🐨Wow. Every Australian - and every person who cares about wildlife, forests and the future of our planet - needs to watch this powerful conversation and share it.
🎙️"The Truth about the Koala Crisis across Australia" is a confronting, hard-hitting interview with Dr Tim Cadman and Sue Arnold - and is urgently important.

🌏While the focus is koalas, it is broader than that.
💯It lays bare the heartbreaking reality facing Australia’s koalas: habitat destruction, flawed protections, questionable population estimates, political delays, legal barriers, climate pressure, development, the loss of democracy, following the money trail and a devastating lack of accountability - as well as the resulting car, dog and disease impacts.

Key points from the recording:
🌳Enough slogans, cuddly imagery and token gestures.
They need intact, connected habitat across whole landscapes - because koalas are deeply territorial, highly specialised and utterly dependent on the exact trees and ecosystems they know. There was much talk about forestry and the NSW Great Koala National Park which is being held to ransom. It needs World Heritage status. Plantation timber is being sold as eco/green but literally covered in the blood of koalas! A royal commission is needed.

🔥The crisis isn't just ecological, but ethical and democratic.
From the reported helicopter shooting of koalas in Victoria, to logging in areas where koalas are thriving, to developments destroying habitat in Queensland, the question becomes impossible to ignore: who is being protected - wildlife, communities and ecosystems, or the industries profiting from their destruction? Almost a billion dollars in grants has been spent but what has it really done?

🧭We must stop forcing koalas to fit human policies.
We must start thinking like koalas and design policies that suit them. That means understanding where they feed, where they shelter, how stress and habitat loss drive disease, and why moving them from their home ranges so often ends in tragedy. They gave examples about koalas wandering around aimlessly after habitat is destroyed and many of us have witnessed this first hand.

☂️Koalas are an umbrella species for coastal forest ecosystems. When their habitat is lost, biodiversity collapses. Protecting koalas means protecting forests, waterways, climate resilience, cultural heritage and the living systems that sustain us all.

🐾How many koalas are there?
There was a discussion about population estimates and how the CSIRO states higher numbers than the AKF although the density measure was questioned.

⚖️What is really needed is legal action.
There are many community groups and communities who are feeling this and taking local action which is great. Citizen science, local investigations and evidence capture is great. But petitions and protests and social media isn’t enough - legal action is needed.

👿What type of politicians allow this? What type of country is Australia becoming? Why does mainstream media ignore the issue?

🗨️And they touched on Margaret Mead's famous words:
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."

📣So, what can be done?
▶️Take the time to watch the recording and share it.
▶️If something is happening in your area, find out who is doing it, who is approving it, want species are impacted, what evidence exists and then reach out to a local solicitor - they will often give some guidance on what to do, but you need to raise money to pursue this avenue.
▶️Reach out to talkback radio, contact newspapers, other media, attend public meetings and keep asking questions.
▶️Contact your local MP, senators and councillors - ask what they are doing to protect koalas and native habitat.
▶️Support local “Friends of” groups and citizen science efforts that record sightings, map habitat, collect evidence and advocate for protection.
▶️Build broad coalitions: neighbours, families, faith groups, local businesses, wildlife carers, scientists and community organisations.
▶️Follow KOALA Crisis on socials.

💚Koalas can't protect themselves - they need us to speak up for them.
🔗We’ve shared the link to the FB event that can be played but will also add the youtube link in the comments if easier.

https://www.facebook.com/events/1641187064090602?acontext=%7B%22event_action_history%22%3A[%7B%22surface%22%3A%22search%22%7D%2C%7B%22mechanism%22%3A%22attachment%22%2C%22surface%22%3A%22newsfeed%22%7D]%2C%22ref_notif_type%22%3Anull%7D

🙏Thanks to Aldwyn and Ken for hosting this great conversation.

03/09/2026

🐨Leaf’s story is exactly why Save the Koala Month exists - and why Qld must do better💔
🛟Today we joined the Redlands community to show up for koala Leaf - and for her dependent joey Leaflet, who is missing and heartbreakingly won’t have survived.
🐾This is the lived experience of our koalas - the reality behind the slogans, greenwashing, strategies, indifference and inaction.

Leaf has endured more trauma than any animal should:
💥2025: Hit by a car in her own home range. She barely survived, losing an eye and her joey. Against all odds, she returned home.
🪵2026: We celebrated a new joey, affectionately named 'Leaflet. Then >600 of her home range trees were cleared, the remaining habitat was severed and made challenging to access due to a high fence, and construction went on around her.
🐨Now: Leaflet is missing and after an extensive search couldn't be located. Joeys this small sadly can't survive alone for long.
🪾Soon: Leaf faces losing even more of her remaining trees.

🔮This is the reality of life for our Qld koalas with the current rate of destruction and lack of protection.

❓We don’t know what caused Leaflet’s disappearance.
👶In nature, joeys are already vulnerable. They can be taken by birds of prey or pythons, fall during mating season, or become separated if mum is sick.

But when we destroy habitat and replace it with infrastructure, we multiply every risk:
🍃Loss of food trees forces koalas to travel further on the ground - across roads, yards, fences, dogs, cars and pools.
🪾Loss of canopy cover pushes them onto exposed edges with no shelter from sun or rain, and far greater danger from birds of prey.
🌳Loss of connected canopy removes safe overhead pathways, shortcuts to larger trees, and the lower canopy safety net.
🚧Impenetrable fencing traps koalas into long ground detours, causes mums to struggle climbing metal bars, and can dislodge joeys trying to squeeze through gaps.
🪜Climb‑over structures sound good on paper, but they are not widely used by koalas. Escape chutes perform better - and the Qld Koala Sensitive Design Guideline needs updating to require both one‑way and two‑way versions.
🏗️Construction stresses koalas and creates physical barriers that force koalas into dangerous detours or traps.
⚰️But other wildlife is also impacted. We saw a dead ringtail possum right at the fenceline. Like many other species, they've lost their homes, yet we can't see any possum boxes to give them any shelter or safety. What’s happening here shows just how outdated and destructive our approach to development is - at any cost, no matter who or what pays the price.

😔The community is feeling shame, grief and anger - because we see the consequences of the actions - and inaction.
📄Those approving and facilitating the destruction rarely do.
🙈They aren’t out searching at night for a miracle that never comes.
🐾They don’t carry the trauma of the broken, the sick, the orphaned.
💔And they certainly don’t feel the confusion and fear Leaf and little Leaflet endured.

⚠️ And while Leaf’s story is devastating, it’s not isolated.
🌿Across Qld, exemptions and ministerial powers are enabling blanket clearing - excused by “conditions” and “offsets” that don’t protect the koalas who actually live there.

How you can help:
Email the representatives below and ask them to:
👉Strengthen koala habitat protection through independent ecological reporting and like‑for‑like local habitat replacement before clearing.
👉Stop blanket clearing and require development that preserves corridors and stepping‑stone trees.
👉Update the Koala Sensitive Design Guide to include mandatory one‑way and two‑way escape chutes and retrofit intermittent panels into school security fencing in koala areas.
👉Set state targets for koala population increases tied directly to development decisions.

📧Qld Minister for State Development, Infrastructure & Planning Jarrod Bleijie MP [email protected]
📧 Qld Minister for Environment & Tourism Andrew Powell MP [email protected]
📧 Federal Environment Minister Murray Watt - Senator for Queensland [email protected]
📧 And cc your own State & Federal MPs

🪦RIP little Leaflet. We're sorry that you were let down so badly by those who knew the consequences yet sacrificed you anyway.



ACF Community Bayside Ormiston Koala Group Ormiston Koala Protest Info (Redlands, Brisbane city & online events) Koala Action Group Koala Rescue Redlands & Surrounds INC

01/09/2026

🐨September is Save the Koala Month - and Queensland’s koalas need us now more than ever
💚It's a great month to help raise awareness about the plight of koalas and the small things that we can do to help protect them, especially since it is in the middle of breeding season when they're very active.
👉But a month isn't enough - koalas need healthy habitat every single day.
🚫They need us to protect what remains.

🐾Koalas have existed for millions of years and yet they're endangered in Qld.
🌿Habitat loss, fragmentation and degradation increase incidents due to vehicle strikes, dog attacks and stress related disease.

Simple things you can do:
🌱Protect habitat - speak up for trees and connected corridors in your local area
📣Raise awareness - share posts, talk about koalas, help others understand the issues
🚗Drive slowly - especially dusk to dawn when koalas are most active
🐶Keep dogs secure - especially at night and near bushland
📞Save rescue numbers and call if you see a koala in trouble
🫶Support your local rescuer, carer, advocate and bushcare group
🗳️Contact your state MP and ask for stronger habitat protections and better legislation

29/08/2026

Our koalas are doing it tough, whether they're in an urban or rural environment. This video highlights that they don't understand roads - this mum and joey aren't in a hurry to cross. It’s so sad to see so few trees for them in the video. Thankfully they've found a safe spot for now. Please keep your eyes out on our roads.

28/08/2026

Private land given to a private company for their benefit; what hope do our koalas have.