A petition calling on NSW Environment Minister and Treasurer Hon Matt Keanto purchase a 200-hectare area of koala habitat in Port Macquarie is gainingtraction.

The land, which is currently for sale as a development opportunity, isconsidered one of the last significant koala breeding grounds in the region.

The government has the ability to purchase the land at 147 The Ruins Way, LakeInnes, with budget already allocated to the NSW Koala Strategy.

In late 2020, the Port Macquarie-Hastings Council recommended the land beadded to the NSW national parks estate, and local member The Hon. LeslieWilliams MP also recognised the importance of the area and requested it bepurchased by the NSW government.

In 2019, the koala population suffered massive casualties during the bushfiresand the remaining unburnt core habitat around Lake Innes has become criticalto sustain those that survived the fires.

That land is now under threat due to ongoing land clearing for greenfieldurban development.

As well as the koala population, the property also is provides habitat fornumerous other threatened species including the critically endangered SwiftParrot and Regent Honeyeater, plus threatened forest owls, Square-tailed Kite,Little Lorikeet, Varied Sitella, Glossy-Black Cockatoo and Grey-headed FlyingFox.

Sign the petition here.

Tagged: Koala, Port Macquarie

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