Summit to help save koalas in southwest Sydney

A KOALA photographed wandering around a Macarthur region service station on Monday night was soon killed crossing a road — the ninth koala killed on that road this month. It happened as the local council was debating how to save the vulnerable marsupials.

This koala was seen at the Woolworths service station on Appin Rd and was later found dead. Picture: Help Save the Wildlife and Bushlands in Campbelltown Facebook page

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HOW do we save the Macarthur region’s precious local koala population in the wake of increasing development?

That’s the question Wollondilly Council hopes to answer when it brings together experts, government agencies and the community at a summit to develop a koala conservation plan for southwest Sydney.

Wollondilly councillors endorsed the idea at last night’s council meeting and will now attempt to establish a ‘Conserving the Koalas of South Western Sydney’ summit.

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Cr Matthew Deeth said eight koalas had been killed on Appin Rd in the past month alone.

Sadly that number increased to nine as the meeting was happening, after another koala, which was sighted at the Woolworths service station on Appin Rd earlier in the evening, was later found dead.

The koala was seen climbing down from a tree before being hit by a car crossing the road. Picture: Help Save the Wildlife and Bushlands in Campbelltown Facebook page

The koala was followed by WIRES volunteers who witnessed it climb into a tree.

Shortly after it attempted to cross Appin Rd and was killed.

Cr Michael Banasik proposed the idea with Cr Deeth, and said the summit could bring into the one room all the people with the power to protect local koalas.

“I compare this to the summit we had on Thirlmere Lakes and what we got out of that … it was only last year the Government put up money to investigate what is going on there,” Cr Banasik said.

Willow the koala, who was nursed back to health in 2016 after being hit by a car on Appin Rd. Picture: Robert Pozo

It comes as a wildlife rescuer has called for action on protecting koalas in Holsworthy and Moorebank as their habits are reduced, with Ricardo Lonzo calling on Liverpool, Campbelltown and Wollondilly councils to create a management plan together.

Cr Banasik said he hopes to hold the summit by the end of the year.

“We want bucks on the table, we want fencing and we want environmental controls,” Cr Banasik said.

“It will bring key players together to develop strategies to better conserve koala populations — dealing with issues of connected habitat corridors, reducing road strike issues and disease management.”

Wollondilly councillors with their paraphernalia to raise awareness about saving the region’s koala population. Picture: Daniel Zautsen

A rally organised by Help Save the Wildlife and Bushlands in Campbelltown calling on the State Government to provide greater protections for koalas in the region will be held on June 3 at Oswald Oval in Rosemeadow from 10.30am.

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Help Save the Wildlife and Bushlands in Campbelltown founder Ricardo Lonza said the summit could hopefully raise meaningful action for local koalas.

“I’m really happy that Wollondilly Council is standing up for our koalas,” he said.

“I’m hopeful that having all those people in the room, they will listen to the concerns and we can really get something done about it.”

Mr Lonza has previously called for fencing, overpasses and preservation of koala corridors through development to help save the local disease-free koala population.