Koala promise is too late

Wildlife activists says Government's $6 million pledge "not enough”.

NOT ENOUGH: The North East Forest Alliance says the Liberal Party's pledge of $6 million in funding for koalas is not good enough. Picture: John McCutcheon

THE North East Forest Alliance says the Liberal Party's commitment of $6 million to protect koalas in northern NSW and south-east Queensland is "too little too late”.

Spokesperson Dailan Pugh said a promise to provide more funding to animal hospitals such as Currumbin Wildlife Hospital did not address the "extinction crisis”.

"While the need for koala hospitals is growing, this is primarily due to the ongoing loss and degradation of koala habitat,” he said.

"What is urgently needed is habitat protection and restoration.”

Mr Pugh said $6 million would go "nowhere near” fixing the damage done to koala habitat.

"This devastation of the best koala habitat has been approved by the Commonwealth, and Melissa Price specifically, against our representations,” he said.

"The Liberal Party needs to realise that throwing money at a problem will not make it go away.

"Six million dollars will go nowhere near fixing the damage they have allowed to koala habitat, and are still allowing today.”