Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2022L00555:body:0:p50
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2022L00555
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 162805–165898

2070 (min, max)
Listed Koala      20.9 (0, 48.7)                    35.2 (0, 67.4)                     45.2 (0, 83.3)
Queensland        29.9 (0, 78.4)                    58.4 (0, 97.6)                     67.8 (0, 99.5)
New South Wales   11 (0, 23.6)                      19 (0, 45.3)                       25.4 (0, 69.3)
ACT               0 (-9.1, 5.1)                     0 (-9.5, 77)                       0 (0, 100)
Victoria          2.6 (0, 20.4)                     10.5 (0, 33.8)                     16.3 (-0.2, 64.3)
South Australia   2.5 (0, 25.5)                     6.6 (0, 53.3)                      12.8 (0, 91.3)

In addition to affecting Koalas directly, climate change also impacts the availability of preferred forage and shelter trees. Over the coming century, some eucalypt species preferred by Koalas may be lost from sites where they currently occur as conditions become climatically unsuitable for these trees (Booth 2017; González-Orozco et al. 2016). It is difficult to accurately predict how and where forests will change, as local genetics, disturbance history, soil, topography, and hydrology can all influence how native forests respond to climate change (Booth 2018; Booth et al. 2015).
Drought, heat, temperature increases and rising CO2 will all influence eucalypt forests and may change the palatability of eucalypt leaves for Koalas (Adams-Hosking et al. 2012; Matusick et al. 2016; Matusick et al. 2018; Prober et al. 2016). These drivers all affect forests in different ways, and additional research is required to assess if and how these changes will affect Koala populations (DeGabriel et al. 2009). Bushfire effects on the nutritional value of eucalypt regrowth (e.g. epicormic growth) are unknown but research has been initiated.

19.2 Land use change
Land use policy and practices causing the loss, modification, and fragmentation of native vegetation cover is considered the most threatening of processes for decline in global biological diversity (Fahrig 2003; Maxwell et al. 2016) and is currently a significant threat to Koala populations in Australia (Cresswell and Murphy 2016; McAlpine et al. 2002, 2006a, 2015; TSSC 2012b).
The main cause of habitat loss is clearing for agriculture and resource extraction – steered in part by Australia's role as a major exporter of food and energy resources – and habitat loss from clearing to accommodate a growing urban population and consequent urbanisation of Koala habitat (McAlpine et al. 2009). The pursuit of these economic goals and housing needs, with the associated development of infrastructure such as transportation (rail and roads) and service corridors (Figure 4), has impacted Koalas throughout most of their range.
Clearing of woodland in western NSW. Image © Jennie Mallela.
Over one million hectares of forest and woodland within the Koala's range was cleared between 2000 and 2017 (Ward et al. 2019b). The revised 2021 distribution for the Koala (this recovery plan, DAWE 2021a) is greater than the 2014 mapping used by Ward et al. (2019b), and consequently the area of cleared habitat is