Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2022L00555:body:0:p44
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2022L00555
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 146059–149235

actions to support and build capability of these groups. Likewise, representatives of these many groups will be actively sought to be involved in the actions set out in the plan and contribute to the recovery of the listed Koala.

16. Potential benefits and impacts

16.1 Affected interests
Government institutions likely to be both major partners and affected by the actions proposed in this plan include Australian Government and state government agencies, local government, particularly where there are environmental, transport and road, urban planning, resources or forestry responsibilities.
The private sectors likely to be affected include timber production, grazing and agriculture, mining, and commercial and residential development interests and tourism operators.
It is imperative that affected interest groups are effectively engaged and consulted with in the implementation of many actions directly affecting these groups. This is particularly for those actions related to dedicating state Crown lands (Action 3a) to protected areas, and statutory planning and policy (Action 4b and 4c). Groups notably potentially affected by these types of actions include the energy extraction and mining industries, and land developers and the grazing and agricultural industries respectively.
The South East Queensland Koala Conservation Strategy 2020–2025 (DES 2020a) represents a relatively successful planning approach, undertaken in consultation with interest groups, at a bioregional scale that is fit for purpose and is a bespoke response to the issues affecting the management of Koalas in South East Queensland. The alignment of the national recovery plan with regional implementation plans, regional partnerships as part of a statewide plan, or similar existing products (Section 12.2, Action 1c), potentially represents a model to implement across other priority regions. Such an approach may provide a benefit of long-term certainty to conservation planning as well as for investment by industry groups for residential and commercial development, with its associated service corridors and infrastructure.
Other potential partners or those groups and individuals with a strong interest in the recovery of the listed Koala include Koala advocacy and Koala welfare groups, scientists, natural resource management organisations, Indigenous communities, ecological consultants, land holders (farmers, rural residential and developers), non-government conservation organisations, wildlife interest groups, individuals and citizen scientists.
Habitat for the listed Koala spans most land tenures, with over half on private lands (Table 2) ranging from small residential housing to large tracts of rangelands, woodlands or forests. Consequently, successful consultation and engagement with all types of land-owners will play a major role in the success in meeting the recovery plan's goal and objectives. To facilitate this, a comprehensive communication and engagement strategy is proposed for the implementation of this plan (Action 2i).
A community group receiving instructions on surveying Koalas, Gympie, Qld. Image: © CSIRO.
Table 2. Proportion of forest or woodland