Koala Conservation Project

A joint project between the Australian Koala Foundation and City of Ballarat

The Ballarat Koala Plan of Management

The Purpose of the Australian Koala Foundation

As an independent, scientific organisation, the not-for-profit Australian Koala Foundation (AKF) works with different sectors of the community, as well as an ever growing number of people within Australia and beyond who share a vision of the koala as a flag-ship species for conservation, tourism, sensible development, education and repair of degraded bush land.

The biggest threat to Koalas and many other species in Australia remains the loss and fragmentation of habitat, together with dog attacks, collisions with cars and bushfires. It is very difficult to effectively plan for koala conservation without knowing which vegetation communities and locations are important or vital to the different populations of koalas.

The AKFs Koala Habitat Atlas mapping methodology has now been applied over a wide range of project areas in Eastern Australia, including more than ten Local Government Areas (LGAs). The Victorian Government has recommended use of the AKFs Koala Habitat Atlas to Councils within the Governments recently exhibited Draft Koala Management Plan.

State Koala Management Plan connection with the Ballarat project

The State plan gives an overview and makes suggestions on koala conservation strategies, whilst the Ballarat KPoM represents the execution of recommendations from the State plan.

The State Plan lists as its objective 3: To develop detailed maps of the distribution and quality of Koala habitat in appropriate Local Government Areas and incorporate these maps into overlays of environmental significance on shire planning schemes. Lead Agent: Local Government in partnership with Australian Koala Foundation and DSE.

The Plan also lists actions 5 & 6 to achieve this objective: Local Government, in partnership with the Australian Koala Foundation, should undertake Koala Habitat Atlas mapping in key Local Government Areas. Priorities for Local Government Areas to be assessed should be based on degree of pressure for development in areas occupied by Koalas. Priority: high. And: Once Koala habitat mapping is completed the Local Government should transfer the information to Environmental Significance Overlays that define, rank and map Koala habitat. Priority: high.

These provisions indicate the significance of the Ballarat project which began before the State Plan was produced.

The Ballarat Koala Plan of Management

The City of Ballarat has taken the visionary step of becoming the first Council in Victoria to work together with the AKF in producing a Koala Plan of Management (KPoM) for the LGA. The plan will not only address science, mapping and planning issues, but will draw on the potential of the koala in the fields of tourism, volunteerism, arts and education.

The most important step in the writing of the KPoM is the assessment of the native vegetation within the municipality. A detailed process of qualitatively and quantitatively evaluating the approximately 2500 polygons (individual areas) of native vegetation in Ballarat has culminated in the public exhibition of the vegetation maps for Ballarat at the Phoenix.

This native vegetation mapping project also has great value in providing information about the condition and make up of the Citys native vegetation. This information will be of use in the preparation and assessment of development proposals where the existence of native vegetation is a factor that requires consideration, and in the planning and delivery of environmental projects, particularly those involving revegetation works where the emphasis is on replanting indigenous vegetation (e.g. Mt Buninyong, along the Yarrowee River).

The protection and proper management of native vegetation has become a critical environmental issue, particularly where conservation of that vegetation may conflict with proposals for development. The better the information that Council has at its disposal in making decisions on such matters, the better the decisions will be.

An example of where the KPoM native vegetation mapping will be of considerable use is in the current Canadian Valley and Buninyong outline development planning process. Both locations are important areas of habitat for the koala, whilst native vegetation is a key feature of these areas and held to be of high importance by residents. At the same time, these areas are popular residential areas. Thus there is a need to reconcile what may at times be competing interests, and the information provided by the mapping project will assist in doing that by being an important input into the planning process.

The project so far has seen the koala being embraced by the Ballarat community, with numerous education and re-vegetation activities achieving not only a gain for native vegetation but also creating a readiness by the residents to accept and appreciate the need for the upcoming Management Plan. The use of the koala as a symbol to attract international tourists and researchers, and to stimulate conservation and promote Ballarat has been very successful.

The extreme fragmentation of the koala habitat in the Ballarat LGA and the necessity to examine approximately 2,500 vegetation polygons has meant that a substantial amount of time has been needed to produce the Ballarat KPoM.

The intensive education program that has been undertaken to date, including re-vegetation projects, lectures, media engagements, art and music projects, has been time consuming, but has assisted in preparing residents and the community in general for the imminent implementation of the KPoM. The continuation of the collaborative project has been secured to 2008 in order to oversee the implementation and monitoring of the KPoM which includes continuing to assist the Planning and Environmental Services Department in assessing planning applications where they affect native vegetation.

The project will continue to further enhance the benefits to Ballarat and its residents of the flagship species, the koala.

Social Implications

The koala and the joint AKF-Council project in particular have given the community a focal species to be able to relate to, and to support, to the benefit of the species and the natural environment of Ballarat in general.

The project has seen the adoption of four, six months-duration Green Reserve projects (Green Reserve is a volunteer program managed by Greening Australia). These projects have seen long-term unemployed volunteers over the age of 45, gain experience in the conservation field by supporting AKFs work. The participants gained an appreciation of their environment, learned new skills, and by participating in AKFs work with all sections of society, often developed new insights into the workings of the community in general. Two of the three participants have found permanent work after completing their projects.

The project has seen a large variety of community groups becoming engaged in re-vegetation work. From school groups to Rotarians, local residents to special school kids, the koala and this project is widely known and accepted.

The Koala Mosaic Project was used as a promotion for the Wozzle Funfest, a unique festival for kids, at the University of Ballarat where both mosaics were on display.

Environmental Implications

Once implemented, the KPoM and its associated maps will become an essential tool for managers and planners within council and externally for developers, re-vegetators and authorities which are concerned with vegetation management.

The quality of the assessment and maps is of a very high standard, rarely seen in other projects, due to the associated time and costs involved in the comprehensive process.

The project will continue to promote environmental awareness and to engage the community in hands-on conservation activities. It will continue to promote Ballarats positive image of having an environmentally aware and pro-active Council.

The AKF Liaison Officer will continue to assist Council with any query regarding koalas and koala habitat from residents or through the planning applications.

Cultural Implications

This project not only attracts volunteers to plant thousands of trees and contribute to general conservation work and the beautification of the city, but this project has also contributed to a change in the communitys perception on conservation in general and the importance of our native flora & fauna in particular.

Koalas are recognised and loved all over the world, especially by our Japanese friends. Unique and adorable, koalas are a symbol of conservation and happiness. It was in this spirit that Koalas in the form of 2 mosaics, helped to bring our two cultures together through the medium of art and education. The result is being felt in each City. This project coincided with the 15th anniversary sister city celebrations and has brought additional strength to this relationship through the exchange of these mosaic gifts and their permanent display.

The AKF particularly targets overseas tourists to come to, amongst other places, Ballarat for the benefit of re-vegetating koala habitat and cultural exchange.

The project in general and aspects of it, have been reported on by numerous overseas media including documentary teams and magazine articles in Japan, USA, Canada, Germany, Italy and France.

The koala opens many doors and opportunities to promote the City. Ballarat and its koala conservation work, together with an exemplary re-vegetation project with the Buninyong Primary School at Mt Innes, has even made it onto 500 000 cereal boxes sold on the North American market.

Tasks undertaken to date as part of the Ballarat Koala Management Plan project

• Attracting local, interstate and international researchers to Ballarat to conduct studies on the koala and its habitat.
• Holding 3 day national annual conference at Ballarat (opened by Mayor Cr. Vendy).
• Attracting international tourists to volunteer in Councils habitat restoration work (e.g. along the Citys waterways as part of the Yarrowee River LINCS project), bringing revenue to Ballarat as a result.
• Linking with local businesses to further develop eco-tourism opportunities (e.g. Sovereign Hill & Wildlife Park).
• Promotion of Ballarat and its koala conservation work nationally and overseas through TV documentaries, magazine stories and merchandise (e.g. Cereal boxes in Canada).
• Qualitative and quantitative assessment of approximately 2,500 individual areas of extremely fragmented native vegetation (with vegetation management plan to be completed in early 2005).
• Education, encouragement and engagement of numerous community and school groups to further community involvement in conservation work (includes over 50 public engagements, talks).
• Raising the awareness for conservation by making the koala a flag ship species for conservation.
• Using the arts as a tool to promote conservation and community values; e.g. Koala mosaics - the sister city approach; Ballarat Artists to the Koala Rescue compilation CD project; Koala Art workshop with local school children and wildlife artist, Steve Morvell.
• Assisting the Planning and Environmental Services Department with applications which are concerned with removal of native vegetation and koala habitat.
• Responding to requests from residents which concern koalas and their habitat.
• Furthering conservation by being a member of the Ballarat Region Conservation Committee, the Mt Buninyong Advisory Committee and the Animal Experimentation Ethics Committee of the University of Ballarat.

Further research planned for the next year includes establishing:

• The relationship between vegetation near roads and koala road kills (industry funded).
• The relationship between blue gum plantations and koalas (industry funded).
• Vegetation fragments: what determines their value as koala habitat (SPIRT grant)
• Tree selection by koalas in the Ballarat area (AKF study).

The Ballarat Koala Plan of Management Project - Making a submission

Council adopted the Ballarat Koala Plan of Management on 11 October 2006.  Amendment C95 is in preparation to implement the recommendations of the Plan.

 

A copy of the adopted document is available for download below.

For further information on the plan please contact either:

• Rolf Schlagloth (AKFs Ballarat Liaison Officer) on 03 5320 7406 or email rolf.akf@ballarat.vic.gov.au,
• Strategic Planning Unit on 03 5320 5536 or email strategicplanning@ballarat.vic.gov.au

 

Links

Download Files Comprehensive Koala Plan of Management - Part 1: The Plan (corrected version) Comprehensive Koala Plan of Management - Part 2: Resource Document (corrected version) Map - Vegetation (Simplified) Map - Black Spot Areas, Conflict Areas, and Potentional Problem Areas Map - Koala Habitat Atlas Map - Koala Planning Map Map - Habitat Linking Areas for Restoration Planning Guidelines for Koala Conservation & Recovery