A koala survey, carried out by the Department for the Environment, Climate Change and Water and by volunteers from various local community groups, has confirmed that there is a small recovering colony of koalas living in Mumbulla State Forest where logging is to be carried out. This is the only known surviving viable colony of koalas living on the Far South Coast of NSW.

“Conservationists are questioning how the Department for the Environment’s Deputy Director Joe Woodward can state: ‘the study...will help to protect koalas in the Bermagui-Mumbulla area’ when Forests NSW intends to start logging irrespective of the survey’s preliminary findings and without any public debate on it findings and before the public release of the full report, which would include the koala habitat mapping,” said environmentalist Lois Katz.

The meeting was attended by Gulaga Protection Society, SERCA, Friends of Five Forests, Wapengo Watershed Association, SCAT, South East Forest Rescue, Conservation Council ACT Region, Tanja E-tribe, Wapengo Oyster Growers, Nature Conservation Council of NSW, Wild Oat and The Waterkeeper Alliance.

A public information meeting will be held at the Tathra Town Hall, on Monday, March 8 at 7pm regarding the issue of logging in our region.