Local koala habitats to benefit from $2.6 million funding package
French Island and Wilson's Promontory koalas will benefit from a $2.6 million funding package announced by the Victorian government to restore local habitats and koala food sources.
A SIGNIFICANT funding package from the state government will soon flow into restoring the local environments and food sources crucial to Gippsland’s vast koala population
A major portion of the investment will be directed toward Wilsons Promontory National Park, with $600,000 earmarked to restore manna gum habitat, directly increasing the availability of a primary food source for local koalas.
French Island will receive more than $1 million to fund on-ground management and the creation of a long-term sustainability strategy. Wildlife authorities on French Island frequently balance the needs of a thriving, disease-free koala population against the risk of over browsing, which can severely deplete the local canopy.
Victoria currently supports an estimated 225,000 koalas, yet local populations face distinct regional challenges ranging from overpopulation to habitat degradation following severe bushfires.
Beyond immediate land care, the initiative prioritises scientific research into koala health and genetics. This data will help conservationists better understand the genetic diversity of Victoria's koalas, which differs markedly from the endangered populations found in the northern states of Australia.
Additionally, the funding will modernise koala welfare protocols to ensure all future conservation interventions align with contemporary animal welfare standards.
Minister for Environment Jaclyn Symes emphasised that practical, localised action is essential to maintaining the state's wildlife numbers.
"Victoria is home to a large koala population and we want to keep it that way, with plenty of gum leaves to eat and healthy habitat to call home," Symes said.
"From restoring manna gums at Wilsons Prom to supporting koalas on French Island, we’re taking practical action to keep our koala populations healthy."
The combined projects aim to strike a sustainable balance, ensuring that Victoria’s forests can support robust wildlife numbers for generations to come.
“We’re backing our scientists to better understand Victoria’s koalas, so we can target our efforts where they’ll make the biggest difference.”
The unique Strzelecki South Gippsland Koala is a direct descendent from the original koala gene pool and is one of the most important koala populations remaining in Victoria.
All other local koala populations are the result of translocations from a handful of animals sent to French Island in the late 19th century. The Strzelecki animals may now hold the key for the survival of the species in Australia as koala populations in Queensland and New South Wales continue to succumb to a variety of problems.
Similar to koalas in other parts of Australia the South Gippsland population of Strzelecki koalas faces threats from habitat destruction for farming and urban development.
