Koala Woman Says
This is a small number of koalas given the size of the electorate but most of the better low-land habitat has been cleared for agriculture. It is also the largest wood and pulp production area in Victoria. Because the koala is not listed under Federal laws in Victoria, the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) has no obligation to take into account koala-friendly sustainable logging as part of their accreditation process, so logging companies also do not have to meet any sort of sustainable logging prescriptions. South Gippsland includes the Strzelecki Ranges Koalas, the only population in Victoria that wasn’t exterminated by the fur trade in the early 20th Century.
Elsewhere there are Koalas at Golden Beach, Loch Sport, Raymond Island near Paynesville and the Bruthen-Buchan area. Half the bush in this electorate was burnt in January 2021. Koalas are occasionally seen at Mallacoota, and 18 were rescued from the fire, but its likely that no other Koalas survived in east Gippsland.
Member for Gippsland
Mr Darren Chester MP
The Nationals
Darren.Chester.MP@aph.gov.au
PO Box 486 Sale
VIC 3850
Will he Act or Axe?
Koala Numbers
Estimated AKF Koala Population: 2500 – 3000 (including all 500 genetically viable animals in Victoria)
Estimated Koala Habitat left: 81.3%
Estimated Federal Government Population: No data. No opinion.
The Victorian Government opposed the protection of the koala and there is no Federal protective legislation in place.