NEFA have focussed our post-fire monitoring on 7,000 hectares of State forests south of Casino we had identified as core Koala habitat before the fires and are proposing as the Sandy Creek Koala Park. It has been devastating to watch as 90%of Koalas have been lost from these firegrounds while the Government did nothing to help the survivors.

This is part of the Banyabba Koala population, covering lowland forests from the Richmond Range through to Iluka on the coast, and from Lawrence on the Clarence River north to Mongogarie, south of Casino. Across this area 70,000 hectares has been identified as 'highly suitable koala habitat ... likely to be occupied by koalas' by the Government.

These forests have been burning since August, culminating in the Busbys Flat fire and then the Myall Creek fire, burning through 60,000 ha (84%) of this 'highly suitable koala habitat'.

Within this area there are core source areas, with breeding colonies of Koalas that are vital for maintaining the viability of the population. NEFA have identified these in parts of Royal Camp, Carwong and Braemar State Forests, another has been identified near Ashby.

You can read the very sad outcomes of this work in the report: The Demise of Banyabba Koalas