Calls for a national park along the Georges River to save Campbelltown’s healthy koala colony

A map of koala movements over the past 20 years in Campbelltown confirms the city is home to a precious and healthy colony and highlights the need for a national park along the Georges River to save the marsupials’ home.

National Parks Association Macarthur branch members Michael Hurcum and Barry and Pat Durman pictured at Keith Longhurst Reserve, in Kentlyn. Picture: Daniel Munoz

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A MAP of koala movements over the past 20 years in Campbelltown confirms the city is home to a precious and healthy colony and highlights the need for a national park along the Georges River to save the marsupials’ home.

Professor Robert Close, members of the National Parks Association (NPA) Macarthur branch and residents have spent 20 years sighting, recording and charting the koala population’s movements across Campbelltown.

A map of the travels of a koala named Shirley around Georges River Rd over 12 years from September 1993 to June 2005. Picture: Facebook

The map, which was presented at a NPA Macarthur branch meeting earlier this month, estimates the Campbelltown region is home to an estimated 300 koalas and sightings were recorded across the city including near Wests Leagues Club, Leumeah, at Campbelltown, Kentlyn, Appin and in backyards.

NPA Macarthur branch member Patricia Durman, whose husband Barry digitised the map, said Campbelltown was home to the last healthy, long lived, breeding and expanding koala population in the Sydney basin.

The Wedderburn resident said the map reinforced her idea for a national park to be created along the eastern side of the Georges River.

Currently, a road, the Georges River Parkway is proposed to be built along the river from Glenfield to Appin Rd, at Appin.

“We must have a wildlife corridor along Appin Rd between the Georges and Nepean rivers or we will lose our koala population,’’ she said.

“If the parkway goes ahead, the road will go right through the koala population and devastate them.’’

Pat Durman said construction of the Georges River Parkway would destroy Campbelltown’s precious koala colony.

Mrs Durman is currently preparing a submission for the national park idea on behalf of the NPA Macarthur branch and which will be submitted to the NSW Government.

“The Australian government and businesses make millions of dollars each year and yet in the wild, koalas are declining due to over-development,’’ she said.

She said rivers and open space along the wildlife corridor could also be enjoyed by residents for bushwalking and passive recreation.

Mrs Durman said another threat facing the Campbelltown koala colony was the number run over and killed trying to cross busy Appin Rd to access the Nepean River.

She also advocates for the speed limit on Appin Rd to be lowered especially between Campbelltown and the Beulah heritage property, on Appin Rd.

Mrs Durman was heartened that Campbelltown residents had taken to our koala population to their hearts and were trying to protect the precious colony.

“We just need the government to listen,’’ she said.

Help Save the Wildlife and Bushlands in Campbelltown Facebook page founder Ricardo Lonza said if the Georges River Parkway was built it would wipe out our koala colony.

Campbelltown State Labor MP Greg Warren said he encouraged residents to discuss the map with him so he could make representations to the relevant minister about our city’s unique and special koala colony.

A spokesman for NSW Roads Minister Melinda Pavey told the Macarthur Chronicle in June that the proposed Georges River Parkway has been earmarked as a future road corridor through the Macarthur region.