Rockley Mount koalas
Protecting the Rockley Mount population (Bathurst)
Project overview
Through funding provided by the Australian Government’s Koala Community Grants, Central Tablelands Local Land Services is collaborating with several key stakeholders to gain greater insight and understanding of the koala population around the Rockley Mount district.
The Rockley Mount koala population is known to be the largest population in the Bathurst region, yet there is little knowledge about the population size or extent.
What we’re doing on the ground
Initial surveys will be undertaken at sites to map existing populations, using remote sensing, acoustic recordings and visual identification, and backed by citizen science.
Habitat enhancement and restoration activities through the targeted planting of up to 5,000 habitat tree seedlings will increase habitat connectivity.
Community events, involving Indigenous communicators, will be held to engage with local schools and the broader community.
This project will increase population knowledge, improve/expand habitat and increase community awareness.
How to get involved
I Spy Koala App - Koala sightings are incredibly important in understanding the size and distribution of the local population and everyone can get involved through the I Spy Koala App. You can jump on your phone and record a sighting where and when it happens. It’s as simple as that!
Community events – Throughout the year, we host community events where you can learn more about local populations and how you can help preserve and protect their habitat. Details will be posted in our newsletters and on our events page.
Spring surveys – Staff from Central Tablelands Local Land Services and Central Tablelands Landcare will again be conducting acoustic surveys in spring of 2024. Throughout September and October, songmeters will be deployed to monitor the local koala population to guide future conservation efforts. If you would like to be involved, contact Mark Thomas on 0487 435 960 or mark.thomas@lls.nsw.gov.au
School and other community groups are encouraged to contact us if you would like more information or a presentation on koalas in the Central Tablelands. Environmental education is a key component in the success of projects like Connecting Koalas and community engagement is critical to the long term survival of our koala population.
Project partners
This project would not be possible with the support of the following partners:
· Central Tablelands Landcare
· Bathurst Regional Council
· NSW Department Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (Biodiversity and Conservation Division).
Staff within the NSW Koala Strategy Team have also been instrumental in providing technical support and ongoing guidance with the delivery of this project.
Project updates
The Connecting Koalas project has contributed to the ongoing conservation efforts through the revegetation of 10 hectares to link wildlife corridors and the protection of 50 hectares of remnant koala habitat. This will be supported by several paddock tree projects that will make it safer for koalas to move across our fragmented landscape.
Spring surveys conducted in October and November 2023 have strengthened the knowledge of koala distribution and will be repeated in spring 2024. Songmeters were deployed across the district to record koala vocalisations over a two week period. These results enable better planning and delivery of on ground activities.
A revegetation and eucalypt identification workshop held in March 2024 attracted an enthusiastic crowd to the Rockley School of Arts Hall. Landholders gained a greater understanding of the eucalypts that koalas in the Central Tablelands prefer as well as some tips and tricks to completing a successful revegetation project on their own property.
More information
For more information on this project, contact Mark Thomas, Senior Land Services Officer via mark.thomas@lls.nsw.gov.au