We are in danger of losing our precious koala populations and a Nature Conservation Council doorknock will remind voters they have the chance stop that happening.
The NSW and Commonwealth governments listed the koala as threatened in 1992 and 2012 respectively. The Queensland University Researchers in 2016 estimated there were just 36,000 koalas in NSW in 2012, and that the population was on track to decline 26% over six koala generations (mid-1990s and mid-2030s).
More than 30 North Coast #SaveOurKoalas volunteers will doorknock homes across Lismore this weekend to make deforestation and the survival of koalas a priority issue in the 2019 state election.
The doorknock will be followed by the official launch of the Nature Conservation Council’s 2019 End Deforestation Campaign on the North Coast (#SaveOurKoalas).
Deforestation has halved koala numbers
Nature Conservation Council Community Organiser Ed Mortimer says that in a time where deforestation has halved koala numbers on the North Coast the NSW Government has failed in every aspect of koala conservation.
‘Under new laws, 99% of identified koala habitat on private land can be bulldozed, leaving next to no protections for koala habitat.’
A doorknock at thousands of homes
Mortimer says that there will be a doorknock at thousands of homes across Lismore to talk about the failure of the NSW Government to provide any meaningful protection of koala habitat in the face of plummeting populations. ‘All parties should commit to ending the deforestation crisis by passing strong laws to protect forests and bushlands, making koala habitat off limits to deforestation, and supporting landowners to restore healthy landscapes
The Nature Conservation Council’s End Deforestation #SaveOurKoalas Campaign will run four mass doorknocking events between now and the March 23 election. The campaign will also involve candidates forums, digital advertising, mass coreflutes and petitions calling on North Coast candidates to end the deforestation crisis.
‘We have been overwhelmed with the response so far and would urge anyone interested to get in touch to take part,’ he said. ‘People are shocked to hear about the deforestation crisis and are jumping at the chance to take action to save our koalas, once and for all.’
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