Port Stephens is home to one of the last remaining koala populations on the East Coast, and it’s essential that Council and the community work together to protect koalas and their local habitats.
For many years, Council has been working closely with the community, business and the NSW State Government to deliver initiatives that protect and conserve this unique population.
One of the most recent projects is focused on reducing koala road strikes. The Port Stephens Drive Koala Vehicle Strike Project is fully funded by the NSW State Government and aims to reduce the number and frequency of koala road strikes on Port Stephens Drive.
Port Stephens Council Strategy and Environment Section Manager, Brock Lamont said Port Stephens Drive runs directly through the middle of a unique koala habitat.
“Over the past 10 years there were 89 incidents involving koalas on Port Stephens Drive making it the worst road in NSW for koalas,” Mr Lamont said.
“The new koala fencing, culverts and grids aim to direct koalas away from threats and funnel them towards safe crossing points.
“The design also includes one-way escape poles along the fence line, designed to allow koalas to climb up from the road corridor and move behind the fencing to safety.
“We’ve drawn on best practice to combine these structures in locations where there’s a lot of koala movement to help reverse the decline of koalas,” he added.
Council is also leading a number of other important initiatives that aim to protect and enhance our koalas and their habitat.
Mr Lamont said one important project is a review of our Koala Habitat Mapping.
“The existing mapping we have needs reviewing to continue to inform planning decisions across Port Stephens.
“In partnership with the University of Newcastle we’ve been undertaking drone surveys, vegetation mapping and scat detection to help us understand where our koalas are and their movement patterns across Port Stephens,” Mr Lamont said.
Council also coordinates the Port Stephens Comprehensive Koala Plan of Management Committee (CKPoM Committee) which provides strategic advice on koala protection.
“We’re always looking for more volunteers to help deliver projects across Port Stephens, from volunteering at the Koala Sanctuary or even participating as one of our environmental volunteers – it’s a great way to get involved and help protect our koalas for future generations,” Mr Lamont said.
