Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2022L00555:body:0:p63
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2022L00555
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 198350–201837

precipitous decline in the central and southern areas of its distribution as a result of habitat loss, drought, bushfires, disease and intense exploitation for fur (Melzer et al. 2000). Due in part to protective legislation and cessation of hunting, Koalas have returned to parts of their former distribution (DECC 2008; Martin and Handysyde 1999; Menkhorst 2008).

2019–2020 summer bushfires
In the summer of 2019–2020, Australia experienced severe bushfires across the country. The coastal areas of southeast Queensland, New South Wales and eastern Victoria were particularly affected (van Eeden et al. 2020; Table 4). The majority of Kangaroo Island in South Australia was also burned. Together, these areas supported significant populations of Koalas: listed, unlisted and introduced.
For the listed Koala, 9% (3,659,625 ha) of the area within which the listed Koala and its habitat are known or likely to occur were burned and this was a significant contributor to the uplisting of the listed Koala to Endangered (TSSC 2021). The proportion burned ranges from <1% in the drier inland areas to 30% in the temperate coastal forests which support high-quality Koala habitat and areas of contiguous habitat. The coastal areas of northern and southern New South Wales areas were most impacted (Table 4, DAWE 2021b). Further analysis of the fire extent for the modelled distribution of the listed Koala by bioregions, state and territory is in Appendix 2.
Table 4. The area and percentage of land burned in the 2019–2020 summer bushfires by Natural Resource Management (NRM) areas within the area where the listed Koala and its habitat for known or likely to occur. Estimates for likely plus known only are provided, excluding may occur, using the previous version of Koala distribution mapping (2013). Note: modelled distribution does not equate to Koala habitat (see section 21.2 below for further explanation on distribution modelling). Source: DAWE 2021b
NRM region, State                       Extent burned within likely
                                        + known listed Koala distribution, ha (%)
South East NSW, NSW                     934,799 (30%)
North Coast, NSW                        899,006 (29%)
Northern Tablelands, NSW                580,707 (20%)
Hunter, NSW                             397,701 (15%)
Greater Sydney, NSW                     331,974 (29%)
Central Tablelands, NSW                 250,520 (16%)
Murray, NSW                             19,295 (3%)
North West NSW, NSW                     43,282 (1%)
Western, NSW                            none burned
Central West, NSW                       9,282 (<1%)
Riverina, NSW                           13 (<1%)
South East Queensland, QLD              86,152 (4%)
Fitzroy, QLD                            55,544 (1%)
Desert Channels, QLD                    none burned
Condamine, QLD                          30,061 (2%)
Burnett Mary, QLD                       15,331 (1%)
Wet Tropics, QLD                        none burned
Southern Gulf, QLD                      none burned
South West Queensland, QLD              none burned
Northern Gulf, QLD                      none burned
Maranoa Balonne and Border Rivers, QLD  3,024 (<1%)
Burdekin, QLD                           1,930 (<1%)
Mackay Whitsunday, QLD                  1,005 (<1%)
ACT                                     21,140 (23%)
TOTAL                                   3,659,625 (9%)

21.2 The listed Koala
The department's modelled distribution for