Speaking in Federal Parliament, Moreton MP, Graham Perrett has rebuked the Coalition government for failing to protect koalas – now declared as an ‘endangered species’.

Whilst welcoming their upgraded protection status, Mr Perrett lamented that a national recovery plan for koalas was way overdue. “It’s now 2022. It’s now six years overdue”, he told Parliament.

The Coalition accepted the recommendation of the Threatened Species Scientific Committee by having the conservation status of koala’s upgraded in Queensland, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory.

However, Mr Perrett questioned as to when Australians would finally see a recovery plan. Under the last Labor federal government, koala populations in Queensland were listed as vulnerable in line with national environment laws. Labor also implemented a national koala conservation and management strategy, which the Coalition failed to renew.

“Over the past decade, koala populations have been decimated by bushfires and loss of habitat and smashed by climate change”, Mr Perrett said.

“I’m especially concerned about our koala populations because we have a population in Toohey Forest—not that I see them very often—and I’m committed to securing a koala bridge over Toohey Road to let our koalas move between the two patches of Toohey Forest”.

“A national icon like the koala is definitely worth preserving”, Mr Perrett said.