KOALA MUSEUM SHOWS DIRE FUTURE UNLESS TREE CLEARING LAWS CHANGE

WWF-Australia has held a one-day pop-up museum for Sydneysiders and tourists to experience what a world without koalas in the wild could be like.

The event depicts the prospect of the extinction of koalas in NSW, following studies showing that they are projected to become extinct in the state by as early as 2050 unless tree clearing laws are changed.

NSW has lost 1 in 4 koalas in the last 20 years and the destruction of koala habitat has almost tripled in some parts of the state following the removal of protections of koala habitat by the state government last year.

Politicians were invited to the event to collect over 26,000 petitions from people calling on the government to better protect koalas. But none attended the event.

“We are very disappointed that decision-makers don’t appear to be listening to Australians who want better protections for koalas,” said WWF-Australia conservationist Stuart Blanch.

“The quickest, simplest and best action we can take is to reverse the recent axing of laws protecting trees in the state. We call on politicians to do this as soon as possible to stop the rapid decline of koalas in NSW,” Dr Blanch said.

“The NSW Government’s Koala Strategy is too weak to stop the koala extinction crisis.”