Hello Koala Lovers,
Today is the beginning of Save the Koala Month and we need you more than ever. As you will see from this link to the Guardian article, our Federal Minister Ley seems to have ignored the advice of her expert panel and I noticed over the weekend that the Queensland Minister launched her “new maps” with the usual suspects surrounding her. I am also very disappointed that Minister Kean in New South Wales has ignored our letter and maps. After 30 years, I have seen it all before – they just ignore what will or might work except what suits their own political agendas. There was one bright note since I wrote last, the Premier of New South Wales announced a new National Park which hopefully will support some Koalas. Given 80% of the Koalas in Australia live on private land, there is still much to be done.
In the Guardian article it also says that many of the “big” conservation groups want to tell the public, yet again, that species like the Koala is in trouble.
It therefore does beg the question, why the “big” groups do not support the Koala Protection Act? And you might be surprised to know that they do not and probably never will.
Over the years, the AKF has constantly explained the power of the Koala to bring about conservation change and in practically every campaign to raise funds, the Koala’s image is used constantly and still nothing happens.
I have come to terms with this as a fact and why my mantra and that of the AKF is “it is time for the Koala Protection Act.” And we will get it because it does not matter how many political statements there are, or how much public pressure there is, nothing will happen until there is a new piece of legislation that will not only protect the Koala but millions of species that reside in their forests.
Be patient is what I constantly tell myself, even though with COVID I feel incredibly impatient. As many of you know we have a book in the pipeline – The Koala Manifesto written by me and Professor Tor Hundloe AM. We had planned to launch it this month, but I feel it will fall on deaf ears. We have however launched its first image and the tees can be bought on our Save the Koala Shop website.
The Koala Manifesto will explain what I have learnt over my many years in dealing with Government and I have decided to wait until the New Year to launch it. 2021 will be the year when the AKF actually gets to explain what I know to be true. That there is massive corruption in the way that we deal with land use and that this corruption has to be removed before we can ever see Koala living in harmony in safe landscapes.
I am excited to be able to say it all and I am hoping you can journey with us over the coming months. We will have a new Koala Manifesto page on our website by Save the Koala Day where we will articulate the strengths of the Koala Protection Act and also other things we think need to happen for Australian forests to be safe.
In the meantime, join the world in celebrating Save the Koala Month. We have lots of great ideas to spread awareness and politicians hate awareness that is truthful so keep it up.
With gratitude as always and I do hope that your lives are starting to settle in this new world of COVID. It is a ghastly time for everyone and our political leaders had been warned, just like they are being warned about the plight of the Koala.
Be strong and stay committed to a new way of being.
Fondest regards,
Deborah