A chlamydia vaccination trial for Macarthur region koalas has been included in a $1.7 million investment.
The vaccine could increase koalas’ resistance to the potentially fatal disease.
Minister for environment James Griffin said the focus of the vaccine trial is to help protect the species in the outer South Western Sydney region, home to one of the few growing koala populations in NSW.
“Chlamydia is a serious issue for koalas, leading to blindness, infections and infertility,’’ he said.
“This disease weakens koalas and can make them more susceptible to dog attacks and other threats.
“That’s why we’re investing more than $600,000 towards keeping the Campbelltown koala population free from chlamydia, including through a vaccination trial.’’
Koala carers, Campbelltown and Wollondilly Councils and the University of Sydney teams involved in the chlamydia vaccine trial will be able to use a new rapid chlamydia testing machine (pictured) to minimise the time koalas are in care.
Additional conservation actions in the NSW Koala Strategy to support local koalas include:
- $600,000 for Landcare to support communities to conserve and restore koala habitat;
- $140,000 to fund koala habitat restoration in the Campbelltown and Macarthur region to repair koala corridors;
- $200,000 for vehicle strike mitigation works, including a koala underpass on Heathcote Road, to protect koalas from the threat of cars;
- $146,000 for mapping koala habitat and corridors and for monitoring koalas in Wollondilly.
Member for Wollondilly Nat Smith said the south west Sydney community deeply cares about its koalas and this funding will be an opportunity for them to become more involved in their conservation.
“South west Sydney is one of 10 focus areas identified in the NSW Koala Strategy as important koala populations that will benefit from more intensive investment and action,” Mr Smith said.
“Koalas in Wollondilly will be better supported by a $146,000 investment to map their habitat, preferred corridors, and monitor their activity.”
Leave the koalas alone and protect their habitat.
Why do you need to have a vaccination trial for Chlamydia on a Chlamydia free Koala population ? Wouldn’t it be better to trial it in Koala populations with Chlamydia like those in Wingecarribee.
What about Appin Road ? We need a minimum of three preferably five wildlife overpasses/ underpasses on Appin Road.
We are spending a lot of money which we wouldn’t have had to if development didn’t occur in Koala habitat.and Koala corridors .Landcom , Campbelltown Council, Lendlease are you paying attention ?
Landcom should be paying for their destruction of Koala corridors in Airds and Bradbury.
Happy to see Koala underpass for Heathcote Road.
Hopefully with the mapping in Wollondilly Koalas and corridors will be saved from the developers. One can only hope..
Cita Murphy, Rewilding Sydney Koalas Project.
$200,000 for an underpass I like that quote can he get some more at that price.