Carrick said the national park would provide north-south connectivity to Heathcote National Park, but the koalas needed to be able to move east-west between the Nepean River and Georges River. The best option was the Mallaty Creek corridor, she said, which was excluded from the conservation plan and currently fenced off.
The government intends Ousedale Creek to provide east-west connectivity because it has the most habitat, but Carrick said there was a greyhound course and a motocross track in the way. The conservation plan also identified Noorumba and Beulah corridors further north, but these needed significant revegetation, she said.
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“Koalas need east-west connectivity, and it’s really important for that population [between Campbelltown and Sutherland Shire],” Carrick said. “One, they’re chlamydia-free, and to the south [around Appin] is chlamydia land. And two, they’ve got low genetic diversity, so they actually do need to move around more, but what they’re doing is cutting off habitat within that chlamydia-free zone.”
Sydney Basin Koala Network said the number of koalas struck by vehicles in south-west Sydney rose by 56 per cent in 2024. Wildlife crossings under Appin Road promised by the government and developers were still not complete.
The Minns government has still not fulfilled its election promise to create the Great Koala National Park in northern NSW, which could see up to 176,000 hectares of state forest added to existing national park estate.
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