Koalas in blue gum plantations

Minimising impacts to koalas in blue gum plantations

As well as being socially and culturally significant, koalas are important to Australia’s biodiversity.

Victoria has a relatively high koala population in comparison to Queensland, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, where koala populations are listed as endangered under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999(opens in a new window). Despite the relative security of koala populations in Victoria, it is still imperative that the koala welfare and the population is protected.

Blue gums are a preferred food source of koalas, and they routinely move into plantations seeking food and habitat.

Timber from blue gum plantations is used domestically and exported throughout the world. The blue gum industry in Victoria operates on private land and is largely conducted by plantation management companies.

An important guide for blue gum plantation owners and managers

The Minimising impacts to Koalas in blue gum plantations: Regulatory guide(opens in a new window) provides information to blue gum plantation owners and managers. It covers their regulatory requirements, including the need to minimise impacts to koalas when undertaking the harvest of blue gums. It outlines who needs an authorisation under the Wildlife Act 1975(opens in a new window), the obligations of those persons and how to comply. It also describes how the Conservation Regulator oversees authorisations, compliance and enforcement.

Read Minimising impacts to Koalas in blue gum plantations: Regulatory guide(opens in a new window)

What the law says about koalas in Victoria

Koala populations in Queensland, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory are listed as endangered under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

Koalas are not endangered in Victoria but like all wildlife in Victoria, are protected under the Wildlife Act 1975 (Wildlife Act). The welfare of all animals is also protected under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1986.

These Acts refer to offences for disturbing, harming, possessing or destroying wildlife without the appropriate authority.

Authorisations and Koala Management Plans

The Conservation Regulator requires owners and managers of blue gum plantations who wish to undertake operations that may affect koalas to apply for an authorisation to disturb koalas under Section 28A(1A) of the Wildlife Act.

Owners or managers must also develop a Koala Management Plan that meets the minimum requirements set by the Conservation Regulator in order to minimise risks to koalas during operations.

Applying for an authorisation

To apply for an authorisation to disturb koalas during plantation management operations, use the relevant application form below. Your application must be accompanied by a Koala Management Plan that uses the template below and is prepared by or in consultation with an ecologist.

A condition of an authorisation to disturb koalas during plantation management operations is that any disturbance must be in accordance with the management approach outlined in the associated Koala Management Plan. A breach of authorisation conditions is an offence under the Wildlife Act and can result in large fines or suspension, cancellation or alterations to the authorisation.

Why is regulation important?

Timber harvesting and management of regrowth in blue gum plantations have the potential to injure, displace or kill koalas.

The legislative and regulatory framework aims to minimise the disturbance to koalas and protect koala welfare.

Reporting on trends in koala impacts

Plantation operators must collect koala data via an interactive application, ProofSafe. ProofSafe enables real-time data upload and access by both the plantation operator and the Conservation Regulator.

This data is used to calculate the Koala Index. The Koala Index provides an indication of the effectiveness of a plantation company’s management measures to identify and protect koalas during operations.

A Koala Index score of zero or greater indicates that the management measures being implemented are at a level that is equal to or better than the industry average and the koala protection measures being used are effective in reducing injuries and/or koala deaths.

If a Koala Index score is less than zero or a negative number, the number of koala incidents (injuries or deaths) occurring across the blue gum plantation company’s operations is poorer than the industry average.

More information about the Koala Index is provided in the Minimising impacts to Koalas in blue gum plantations: Regulatory guide.

The Conservation Regulator reports quarterly on the aggregated Koala Index score for those plantation operators holding an authorisation to disturb koalas. Requests for historical koala index data can be sent to customer.service@delwp.vic.gov.au

Koala Index Score for October 2023 to September 2024

The scores throughout this period indicate that the blue gum plantation industry has made appropriate efforts to preserve koala welfare in line with their regulatory requirements. The Conservation Regulator also continue to undertake inspections and audits of authorisation holders regularly to ensure that authorisation conditions are being met.

In the event that an individual company performs poorly against the koala index or other reports of non-compliance are received, the Conservation Regulator will investigate in accordance with our Compliance and Enforcement Policy. Some fluctuations in incident (injuries or deaths) numbers are expected, associated with seasonal koala behaviour and movement through the landscape.

Statement on blue-gum harvesting near Gordon

Current as at 28 January 2023

The Conservation Regulator is aware of community concern regarding a population of koalas near the Gordon township.

Koalas, like all wildlife, are protected in Victoria under the Wildlife Act 1975. There is a robust regulatory framework in place to minimise impacts on koalas in blue gum plantations in Victoria. Blue gum harvesting operators are required to hold an authorisation from the Conservation Regulator, with strict conditions including requirements for koala spotters, and to retain eight trees surrounding any koala on site. The plantation operator at the Gordon site holds a Wildlife Act 1975 authorisation to conduct harvesting works in the plantation.

Translocation of wildlife can cause significant stress, injury and potential death to wildlife. That is a key reason the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action generally does not support translocation of non-threatened species. It was also a key factor in the Conservation Regulator decision not to issue a permit to translocate koalas at the Gordon site. The alternative, leaving the koalas in place during and after plantation harvest, allows them to stay or move naturally to their preferred location.

Harvesting operations at the site near the Gordon township are now complete. The Conservation Regulator monitored the harvesting operations in line with operational priorities to ensure works were conducted legally and responsibly. The Conservation Regulator has not received any reports of koala injuries or deaths at or near the site since commencement of the harvesting operations.