The Liberal-Labor alliance on Hawkesbury Council once again voted together last night, leaving the region's koala population unprotected. In a decision that has sparked community outrage, the majority of councillors chose to delay the implementation of a Koala Plan of Management (KPoM), despite a petition signed by nearly 900 residents and recommendations from council staff to analyse koala records and map critical koala corridors.

This decision follows a pattern, as the same councillors have repeatedly voted against motions to protect koalas throughout this term of Council. Those who voted not to protect koalas last night were:

- Sarah McMahon (Liberal)

- Patrick Conolly (Liberal)

- Jill Reardon (Liberal)

- Paul Veigel (Liberal)

- Les Sheather (Independent - Liberal aligned)

- Barry Calvert (Labor)

- Amanda Kotlash (Labor)

The councillors who supported efforts to save the Hawkesbury's koalas were:

- Danielle Wheeler (Greens)

- Mary Lyons-Buckett (Independent - People Not Parties)

- Nathan Zamprogno (Independent)

- Shane Djuric (Shooters, Fishers, and Farmers Party)

- Eddie Dogramaci (The Small Business Party)

Sydney Basin Koala Network, Project Manager Stephanie Carrick expressed her disappointment; "We are at a loss to understand why this would need to be delayed, when it would provide such valuable knowledge to help the very important Hawkesbury koala population. We look forward to a new council moving forward with these important protections for a vulnerable koala population seeking food and shelter on private land due to 79% of their habitat being lost in the Black Summer Bushfires."

The Hawkesbury region is home to the most genetically diverse koala population in Australia however, these iconic marsupials are now classified as endangered, facing an uncertain future. The primary threat to their survival is habitat loss, driven by ongoing development, exacerbated by the application of the Rural Boundary Clearing Code in the Hawkesbury. Despite this, the Council has yet to implement a KPoM to safeguard these vulnerable animals from further habitat destruction.

The Hawkesbury Environment Network (HEN) says the absence of a KPoM is alarming, considering the increasing pressure on koala habitats. “As urban development encroaches on the natural environment, koalas are left with fewer places to live, breed, and thrive. Without immediate action to protect and preserve these critical habitats, the survival of Hawkesbury’s koalas hangs in the balance,” HEN Secretary, Nick Soudakoff said.

A groundswell of concerned residents came together to call Hawkesbury Council to take decisive action, signing a petition, to highlight the urgency of the situation, and urging the Council to fund the KPoM. The KPoM would establish guidelines and protections for koala habitats within the region. Without this plan, koala populations could continue to decline, potentially leading to their extinction in the area.

“Now is the time to implement the KPoM given that over the next few years, we are going to see more and more pressure for suburban development in the Hawkesbury,” Soudakoff said. “Housing development often fragments koala habitat and brings noise, dogs, light, and vehicles close to habitat, threatening the established koala populations. The knock-on effect of development can extend beyond the immediate area,” he added.

The matter will return to the newly elected Council at the quarterly budget review in October.