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In an alarming development, the Australian government under Prime Minister Albanese has sanctioned the destruction of 4,000 hectares of koala habitat for 2025. This area is as large as four Sydney Airports, marking it the most extensive federally approved clearing of this endangered species’ habitat on record.
This information is detailed in a report by the Australian Conservation Foundation, which also discovered that an additional 2.3 million hectares of koala habitat have been cleared without necessary approval, exploiting loopholes in the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act.
“The fact that koalas have been officially acknowledged as threatened with extinction since 2012 implies they should be safeguarded against harm. This situation highlights the complete inadequacy of existing laws to conserve their habitats and halt the further decline of the species,” remarked Darcie Carruthers from the ACF nature campaign.

The extent of land clearing

The koala has seen more of its habitat approved for destruction than any other threatened species, with an area of nearly 38,000 hectares approved for clearing since 2011, according to the report.
Agriculture was the main driver of habitat loss, followed by native forest logging and coal mine approvals.

The report detailed that a single project, the Vulcan South Coal Mine situated in Queensland’s Bowen Basin, was allowed to clear 1,166 hectares of koala habitat. This project alone constitutes 30 percent of all koala habitat slated for clearing in 2025.

Associate Professor Desley Whisson from Deakin University said stopping the destruction of habitat is vital to preventing extinction.
“We know habitat loss is the leading cause of koala decline, yet deforestation continues unchecked,” he said.

“Preventing koala extinction isn’t complicated. We need to stop deforestation by strengthening our national laws.”

Environment approval reform on the table

“These reforms are vital for our environment and for business,” Watt said at the time.

“The plain fact is we will fail to achieve our national goals, such as more housing, renewable energy initiatives, and ecological protection, unless these laws are fundamentally revised.”

A man in a blue jacket, white shirt and dotted tie wearing glasses. He has short grey hair and is sitting on a red seat smiling.

Environment Minister Murray Watt said the EPBC Act will be reformed within the next 18 months. Source: AAP / Mick Tsikas

Adjunct Professor Dr Kita Ashman from Charles Sturt University said reform should remove loopholes in the Act, such as the Regional Forests Agreement (RFAs).

There are currently 10 RFAs covering commercial forestry regions across the country under which logging does not need to be approved by the environment minister.
“The way the Regional Forests Agreements operate under the EPBC Act is effectively a backdoor for destructive practices like logging to continue with very little scrutiny,” Ashman said.
“If we remove this loophole, it will mean climate refuges and places that are critical for the survival of the species will remain intact.”
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