Queensland Government invests over $8 million into koala habitat and vaccine research

The Queensland Government is investing $8.7 million to restore crucial koala habitat and address a key disease threat.

Two organisations - Queensland Trust for Nature and Healthy Land & Water - will share in $8.5 million for habitat restoration while Queensland University of Technology and the University of the Sunshine Coast will share in $200,000 for research into koala chlamydia.

Queensland Trust for Nature will receive $5 million to continue its Koala Habitat Restoration Partnership Program. The program aims to increase the amount of koala habitat restored in key priority areas through collaborations with landholders and local governments.

Since the Koala Habitat Restoration Partnership Program began, 14 project sites across council-owned and private land have been established to restore more than 400 hectares of koala habitat through a combination of revegetation and assisted natural regeneration.

The extension of the program will support the recruitment of further landholders and significantly expand the area of habitat of being restored.

The $3.5 million provided to Healthy Land & Water will enable the continuation of the Restore and Reconnect: SEQ Koala Habitat project and support the organisation to extend its partnerships with local governments and regional natural resource managers to increase efforts to restore and regenerate koala habitat.

The State Government has identified habitat restoration as one of six action areas in the South East Queensland Koala Conservation Strategy 2020-25, which includes a target to restore 10,000 hectares of koala habitat.

Queensland University of Technology and the University of the Sunshine Coast will receive $100,000 each to progress the development and registration of a koala chlamydia vaccine to enable wildlife hospitals, veterinarians and wildlife carers to support broadscale vaccination of wild and captive koalas.

Chlamydial disease is recognised as a significant threat to koala populations and is the leading cause of disease in koalas, causing high morbidity and mortality with clinical (chlamydial) disease observed in 30% of surveyed animals in SEQ.

Image. Queensland koala habitat Credit: QLD Trust for Nature