Hello Koala Lovers,

For regular readers you know that Australia has a federal election coming up on 21st May and a few weeks ago I wrote to the Minister for the Environment Ms. Sussan Ley to release the Koala Recovery Plan so that we, the citizens of Australia could evaluate whether the document had any power to really protect the Koala.

When an election is called our Governments go into “caretaker mode”, which means no decisions can be made. Conveniently just 3 days prior to the election being called and her Department going into ‘caretaker’ mode, Environment Minister Sussan Ley released the Koala Recovery Plan – just a cool 10 years later than promised in 2012 and the Shadow Minister, Ms. Teri Butler appears to be equally cavalier about the plight of the Koala and did not respond to my letter.

The Recovery Plan document does little to tackle climate change or talk about how it will actually stop bulldozers ripping through Koala homes. It seems to me our leaders, like a lot in the world just do not understand that we cannot continue to have our forests to be under continual onslaught. How can the Koala survive if they have no home?

And of course, the Koala Recover Plan does come with a big BUT, “Implementing this recovery plan is subject to budgetary and other resource opportunities and constraints affecting partners” – there we have it, the get out of jail free card and why nothing but the Koala Protection Act will truly save our beloved Koalas and their trees.

The Koala Protection Act requires no funding, just strong legislation that would work! The Koala Protection Act is a revolutionary piece of legislation which will change environmental law forever by proactively protecting Koala habitat. The Koala Protection Act is firm but fair and any industry that is afraid of its powers should not be in business.

It is also important to acknowledge that the Greens (a smaller party in Australia) have put a Bill in the Senate to protect the Koala – but in my view it is still linked to the not fit for purpose Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation ACT 1999 (EPBC Act) and they too should consider supporting the Koala Protection Act.

Read my press release on this issue and of course, if you are Australian, check out the Koala Army and don’t vote for a Dill on 21st May, Australia’s future and the Koala depend on you making your vote count.

As always,
Deborah