Sun, 13 Mar
|Sutherland
Koalas + Hughes and why we need to care
Koalas are an indicator species, when they are around we know that the environment is healthy enough to support them. Here in Hughes, we have a newly documented colony of koalas. This is great news but we need to make sure they can continue to survive and thrive in the bush of Hughes.
Time & Location
13 Mar 2022, 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Sutherland, 123 Flora St, Sutherland NSW 2232, Australia
About the event
Join us on the 13th of March as we celebrate the newfound colony of Koalas in the Heathcote National Park. Hughes' citizen scientists Steve Anyon-Smith and Tom Kristensen explored Heathcote National Park on foot and documented 64 thriving koalas. This is a good news story, but with this news comes responsibility, a responsibility to care for nature. Koalas are now listed as an endangered species under the Federal Government’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, 2015.
We are also very fortunate to have film Co-directors Hughes residents Georgia Wallace-Crabbe and Gregory Miller join us. Georgia and Gregory are in the process of making a documentary film "The Koala Corridor" on the tenuous position of our much loved Australian icon.
You may be familiar with Georgia and Gregory's previous film "Cultivating Murder" the harrowing story of the murder of Glenn Turner. "Cultivating murder is a portrait of a devastated family, a murderer, and a divided rural community on the front lines of the battle over global warming and land clearing."¹
Habitat loss is one of the greatest threats to koalas, we see this threat continuing in Southwest Sydney, we see it on the mid and north coasts of New South Wales with their ever-increasing population demands, and in the agricultural areas of the NSW northern tablelands. Here in Hughes we have protected lands in our national parks and catchment areas and we have koalas, and we are so proud.
A major threat to koalas in Hughes is fire and I want to work closely with our local RFS and with our National Parks managers to make sure the koala is protected during hazard reduction burns. And, of course, I want to be part of ensuring Australia plays an active role in taking action on climate change so that catastrophic fire doesn't become the norm.
This event will also be showcasing our Purple Koala creative team and their ideas to make the purple koalas synonymous with constructive and informed representation.