Koalas are now effectively extinct in the Gilmore electorate, according to new data from the Australian Koala Foundation.
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The data shows in 2018, there were 100 to 200 koalas in the Gilmore electorate and in 2021, no koalas were recorded in the electorate.
AKF chair Deborah Tabart attributed land clearing and the Black Summer bushires to this outcome.
"The terrible bushfires of 2019-20 of course contributed to this outcome, however, they are certainly not the only reason we are seeing koala populations on the decline," she said in a statement.
"Land clearing is lethal to koala populations. Over the past few years, we have seen huge land clearance particularly across NSW and south east Queensland, for farming, housing development and mining."
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Independent MP Justin Field said the government has already been warned of impending koala extinction from a NSW parliamentary inquiry last year.
"The parliamentary inquiry found that koalas will face extinction in New South Wales by 2050, without real dramatic action to protect their habitat," he said.
"And this latest data shows that as a consequence of us failing to protect quality habitat, we are heading towards a koala extinction.
"We have actually seen the extinction of koalas in the electorate of Gilmore, the area of the Shoalhaven. And that's hugely distressing."
Ms Tabart called on the federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley to "get on with her job of protecting the koala habitat".
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Mr Field said it is imperative the government stops allowing developments that destroy koala habitat.
He believes it isn't impossible for the species to areas return to the South Coast, but would take "dedicated work".
"There have been success stories of species being returned and recovered. But this needs to come with substantial protections," he said.
"We've got habitat here on the South Coast and a lot of it was badly burned by the fires.
"But I think we can select some areas of quality habitat, where we can put pest-proof fencing in place, where we can make sure we've got really good fire management strategies in place, so those populations can be supported to recover.
"That's going to take really dedicated work, but I think it's worth doing because koalas are just such an iconic species."
30 per cent lost in three years
With 30 per cent of the iconic species lost across Australia in three years, the data reveals koalas are in rapid decline nationally with no upward trends in any area.
Figures released by the foundation on Monday reveal a three-year decline as high as 41 per cent in NSW and the ACT, 37 per cent in Queensland, 31 per cent in SA and 16 per cent in Victoria.
Australia's koala populations are now estimated to be between 32,065 to 57,920 - down from 45,745 to 82,170 in 2018.
The AKF tracks populations with the Koala Habitat Atlas and estimates koala numbers in each of the 128 federal electorates that have, or did have, koalas since white settlement.
The numbers show the koala is now extinct in 47 electorates and only one, in the South Australian electorate of Mayo, has more than 5000 koalas.
Some regions have remaining populations estimated to be as small as just five to 10 koalas.
Ms Tabart says federal politicians in these electorates are on notice to protect not only the koalas in their electorate but the habitat.
"We have witnessed a drastic decrease in inland populations because of drought, heat waves, and lack of water for koalas to drink. I have seen some landscapes that look like the moon - with dead and dying trees everywhere," she said.
"We need a Koala Protection Act now," she said.
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