The NSW Budget has included an $80 million investment in measures to secure the future of Campbelltown’s growing koala colony.
This allocation has been welcomed by local MP Greg Warren, who accepted that the area did not get everything that it wanted to get
“I will never accept that whatever Campbelltown gets is ever enough and will always fight for more,’’ he said.
“However, this $80 million investment is something that we call applaud because it will go a long way towards helping the local koalas,’’ said Mr Warren, who earlier today joined environment minister Penny Sharpe on a tour of the local colony near St Helen’s Park (pictured above).
The Budget package includes $48 million to help establish a new National Park along the Georges River between Long Point and Appin, which will eventually cover up to 1,830 hectares.
The suburbs of Long Point, Ingleburn, Minto Heights, Kentlyn, Airds, St Helens Park, Gilead and Appin will host the new park.
The investment will accelerate the addition of more than 1,000 hectares of public land to the NSW national park system within the next three years.
The transfer and reservation of these lands will deliver long lasting conservation benefits for Sydney’s largest and one of the state’s healthiest koala populations, one of whom was photographed east of Appin Road last year (below).
The NSW Government is also providing $26 million to create three koala-friendly crossings along Appin Road. Two will allow animals to cross below Appin Road, and a third will cross a canal.
And $5.7 million will go towards koala care in the Macarthur area, to look after local populations, from Glenfield to Wilton.
The final initiative will be the installation of two more koala safety signs along Appin Road.
“Campbelltown koalas are some of our most precious residents and I am glad to see the budget treating them as such,” says Mr Warren.
Establishing a national park and putting more money into infrastructure to keep koalas safe around roads will ensure generations to come will still be able to see koalas in the wild, said environment minister Penny Sharpe.
As well as funding for koalas, the budget also addresses key concerns such as cost of living, housing and essential services.
“The NSW Budget has provided support to Campbelltown families who are feeling the sting of cost-of-living rises, whilst also rebuilding the strength of our essential services. Housing services have been given additional funding to combat the ongoing housing crisis,’’ Mr Warren said.
Some of the Budget measures include $1.3 million to continue planning for widening of Appin Road from St Johns Road to the southern access of Mt Gilead to provide additional transport capacity for the priority residential development.
An allocation of $5 million will support the creation of new homes at Menangle Road (Mt Gilead to Macarthur), and $24.6 million for the upgrade of Appin Road to support housing growth in Mt Gilead.
Wonderful news. I lived until recently in Kentlyn and we had koalas on our property. I often saw them when coming home along Peter Meadows Road at night and reported the sightings. I also learned that koalas made a barking noise as we had a gum tree outside the bedroom window and would hear them at night.
Great to see the sign on the Appin Road “Campbelltown Koala Town”.