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A community group is continuing to push all levels of government to ensure Mid North Coast koala habitat is protected from development.
Port Macquarie resident Les Mitchell is a member of the Facebook group Guulago Koala Custodians and he said the recent research findings by the Australian Conservation Foundation are dire.
On Tuesday, February 8 the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) released research which revealed the Federal Government had approved the clearing of more than 25,000 hectares of koala habitat since the species was declared vulnerable 10 years ago.
The ACF has called on the Environment Minister Sussan Ley to release the findings of an assessment which was conducted to determine if the species' conservation status should be changed from vulnerable to endangered.
Mr Mitchell has backed the ACF and said their classification level should be upgraded to recognise their numbers are decreasing at an alarming rate.
Mr Mitchell said the Federal Government's solution to clearing land is to provide offsets, in the form of new plantings, for koalas.
"The problem with offset is they take a long while to reach the same habitat value that koalas can live in," he said.
"It's not habitat which is mature and suitable for koalas now.
"Given their numbers are already in decline, we just don't have the time."
Federal Member for Cowper Pat Conaghan said the research released by the ACF doesn't apply specifically to the Cowper area.
"Cowper has seen multiple rounds of government funding at both a state and federal level dedicated to koala population, as well as generous contributions to their conservation from non-government sources made to the Koala Hospital," he said.
"I am confident that this will continue.
"Minister Sussan Ley recently announced a record $50 million of federal funding dedicated to the protection of koalas by restoring koala habitat, improving our understanding of koala populations, supporting training in koala treatment and care, and strengthening research into koala health outcomes.
"I look forward to seeing the direct benefit to Cowper, given our koala credentials and the importance our region plays in their overall population numbers."
Mr Mitchell was one of the instrumental community members who rallied to save an important swathe of koala habitat in Port Macquarie, which had been earmarked for development.
Member for Port Macquarie Leslie Williams backed the campaign and as a result it was purchased by the NSW Government and protected from future development.
According to the NSW Government website, the NSW Koala Strategy is part of a long-term vision to first stabilise, then increase, koala population numbers across the state.
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