Scientists and animal welfare groups have urged government officials to take immediate action to preserve wild koala populations in the Australian State of New South Wales (NSW), which they say may be facing extinction.
A parliamentary inquiry into the future of koalas in NSW held it's only day of hearings in Sydney on Friday, exploring threats which include habitat loss, cat and dog attacks, dangerous roadways, bushfires and more.
Already the inquiry has received over 250 submissions, including by the National Parks Association of NSW.
"It is important for the committee to realise that the extinction of koalas in NSW is possible if we do not urgently change course," it said.
"The key threat to koalas is accelerating habitat loss from land clearing, logging and urban development."
"Many of the woodlands and forests upon which koalas depend have been identified as either 'crisis ecoregions' or 'very high risk ecoregions'."
One of the topics before the inquiry is a proposed Great Koala National Park (GKNP) which would supply much needed protected habitat for the forest dwellers, with advocates saying it would also provide a major ecotourism boost to regional areas.
"If we continue with business as usual, koalas will continue to die and slide towards extinction," the GKNP Steering Committee said in their submission.
"The GKNP will give our dwindling koala population the habitat it needs to thrive again, by adding 175,000ha of state forests to existing protected areas to form a 315,000ha reserve system within five local government areas."
