After several years of on-ground action and community collaboration, BMRG’s Koala Habitat Restoration and Protection project has delivered lasting outcomes for koalas in the Gympie region. Read more about the original announcement here.
Working collaboratively with landholders, community groups and delivery partners, including Noosa & District Landcare, Gympie & District Landcare and Koala Action Gympie Region, the project has improved habitat condition and connectivity across the Gympie region.
Together, these efforts resulted in almost 100,000 koala food and habitat plants established across more than 92 hectares, creating healthier, more connected landscapes for koalas now and into the future.
Community planting events added another layer of impact, bringing people together to learn, contribute and connect with local conservation efforts. These events played an important role in building awareness, strengthening community pride, and inspiring ongoing care for koala habitat.
Targeted weed control reduced competition from invasive species, while stock exclusion fencing across more than 15 hectares protected regenerating habitat and supported long-term vegetation establishment.
Beyond the on-ground works, the project also supported the use of drone technology to detect koalas in areas where they had not previously been recorded, helping to build a better understanding of koala presence across the landscape and inform future conservation efforts.
Importantly, the project demonstrated the strength of local collaboration. Even in the face of wet weather and changing site conditions, partners and landholders adapted, supported one another, and kept the project moving forward.
As the project comes to a close, its impact will continue to grow - in the landscapes restored, the partnerships strengthened, and the community commitment to koala conservation that will carry into the future.
This project was funded by the Australian Government’s Saving Koalas Fund.