Australian Koala Foundation( AFK )
The AKF estimates that there are likely to be less than 60,000 Koalas remaining in Australia today and it could be as low as 33,000. Much of their habitat has already been lost. This makes it vitally important to save what is left.
https://earth.org/australia-officially-declares-koalas-as-an-endangered-species/
In a landmark decision for conservation, Australia has announced the creation of the long-awaited Great Koala National Park (GKNP), a sanctuary set to transform the future of one of the nation’s most treasured species, the koala.
On Sunday, the Minns Labor Government declared an immediate halt to logging in forests that will make up part of the vast 476,000-hectare reserve on the Mid North Coast of Australia. The park’s scale has exceeded expectations, promising to be one of the largest protected areas in New South Wales and even outsize the world-famous Blue Mountains National Park.
“Once again, it proves that a small group of dedicated people can truly change the world—because, in the end, that’s the only thing that ever has. Persistence is key. I commend the New South Wales government for finally honouring their promise to create the Great Koala National Park and I believe Australia has so much to offer the world. What we need now is to view this country through a fresh lens—leaving behind the colonial mindset of exploitation and embracing a more holistic stewardship of a land that has already given us so much,” Paul Hilton, a conservation photojournalist, told WAN. World Animal News
This announcement marks a long-awaited victory for animal welfare, conservation, community members, and scientists who have spent decades pushing for stronger protections for koalas and their forest homes. It is a beacon of hope that Australia can lead the way in safeguarding biodiversity at a time when the planet needs it most.
In a sobering twist of irony, the celebration comes alongside alarming new findings. Just as the NSW government outlined the proposed boundary for the Great Koala National Park, the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) released a study for National Threatened Species Day on September 7th, showing that 2025 has already become the worst year on record for federally approved destruction of koala habitat.
Despite the koala’s official listing as endangered, nearly 4,000 hectares of habitat have been approved for bulldozing this year alone, adding to the staggering 38,000 hectares lost since 2011, an area larger than two Royal National Parks. Even more concerning is that 98% of habitat destruction has bypassed assessment under Australia’s environmental law, leaving agriculture and native forest logging in NSW as the leading drivers of unchecked devastation.
This contradiction highlights the urgent need for stronger national protections. The government is currently reforming the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act, but koalas can’t afford delays. Every day without meaningful change pushes the species closer to the brink.
Koalas are more than an Australian icon, they are a reminder of the fragility of our ecosystems. The creation of the Great Koala National Park proves what is possible when people come together to demand action. But to truly save this species, protecting their habitat must become more than a political promise, it must be a national priority.
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