Over the last three months, the Southwest Sydney Koala Project has been hard at work, building resilience in local habitats, advancing koala research, and informing the community of the latest findings in koala research, conservation, and management.
Maintaining Healthy Koala Habitat
Our team has been revisiting properties enrolled in the first two years of the program to carry out essential maintenance. These properties are vital strongholds for local koala populations, but their health requires constant vigilance, especially when it comes to invasive weeds. Vines such as Madeira Vine, Japanese Honeysuckle, Balloon Vine, and Moth Vine remain a significant challenge. These aggressive plants not only smother native trees but also prevent animals, including koalas, from moving freely through the bush. By targeting and removing these weeds, we ensure the landscape remains connected and resilient for wildlife.
Koala Songmeters
September and October mark the height of the koala breeding season, a time when male koalas make their presence known by bellowing through the night. To tap into this natural chorus, we partnered with field ecologist Brie Slogget to deploy two rounds of songmeters. These specialised recording devices listen for koala bellows over a 200-metre range, between 6 pm and 6 am.
This year, our focus has been on the Douglas Park area, a region that has historically been a “blind spot” for koala surveying due to its predominantly private ownership. Government researchers typically face restricted access here, but Landcare’s strong relationships with local landholders have allowed us to survey and support incredible bushland properties along the Cataract and Nepean Rivers. Some of these properties have now joined the Southwest Sydney Koala Project, and we are working closely with their owners to tackle weeds and maintain habitat quality, ensuring this region remains a refuge for koalas.
Koala Information Day
A highlight of our spring calendar was the Koala Information Day held on Saturday, 18th October 2025. The event brought together a passionate crowd of experts, carers, and community members, all united by a commitment to safeguarding the future of koalas in Southwest Sydney.
We were honoured to hear from Kylie Madden, Team Leader of the Koala Program at the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW). Kylie provided an in-depth update on the NSW Koala Strategy, covering everything from vaccine trials and new population data to large-scale habitat restoration efforts across the state.
Dr. Kellie Leigh, Executive Director of Science for Wildlife, shared remarkable insights from her work in the Blue Mountains. Using highly-trained detection dogs like her Border Collie Groot, Dr. Leigh’s team locates koala populations through scat surveys. Their recent findings point to a chlamydia-free population in Kanangra-Boyd National Park, and the Blue Mountains region being home to some of the state’s most genetically diverse koala populations. These populations are thriving on pure sandstone soils, a soil type once thought as unsuitable for koala habitat.
We also learned about cutting-edge technology from Dimi Ratnayaka of Landcare Australia, who introduced the WILDSEEK drone program. Using AI and thermal cameras, these drones detect koalas by their heat signatures, even in dense bushland. The technology was put to the test at the Macarthur Motorcycle Club in Appin, where koalas were heard calling during a survey that very morning.
Julien Grosmaire from Endeavour Veterinary Ecology offered a behind-the-scenes look at the development of a chlamydia vaccine for koalas, highlighting the complexities of tackling this disease, which behaves differently across populations.
From a cultural and ecological perspective, Kazan Brown, a senior Gundungurra knowledge holder, presented her research on predators in the Burragorang Valley. Through scat analysis, Kazan found no evidence of koalas in predator diets—a positive sign—but raised concerns about high predation rates on other native species by cats and foxes, underlining the intricate balance of the bushland ecosystem.
Stephanie Carrick from the Sydney Basin Koala Network empowered the audience with advocacy tools to support koalas and their habitats. Her compelling before-and-after images of Campbelltown and Appin were a stark reminder of how quickly precious habitat can be lost. The ongoing efforts to save Mallaty Creek, a vital corridor connecting Georges and Nepean River koala populations, remain critical. Stephanie encouraged everyone to make use of the Sydney Basin Koala Network’s resources and get involved in advocacy.
Sydney Wildlife Rescue displayed their new education trailer at the event. With display screens and a range of wildlife rescue information designed to empower the community to act if they see an animal in need, this trailer will be an important resource and welcomed at many community events in the future
The day concluded with Emma Meddows and Tracey Maguire from WIRES, who shared heartfelt stories from the frontline of koala rescue and rehabilitation. Our wildlife rescuers and carers work fulltime hours as volunteers, often after working their ‘real’ jobs. The South West Sydney Koala Project is assisting wildlife carers by planting five food forests and coppicing tall eucalypt trees to reduce the time required to provide food for injured koalas and joeys in care.
Looking Ahead
Our recent work underscores the importance of community, collaboration, and innovation in koala conservation. With the help of local landholders, dedicated scientists, passionate volunteers, and technological advances, we are making meaningful strides to protect and restore koala populations in Southwest Sydney.
Every weed we remove, every songmeter we deploy, every conversation we spark, brings us closer to a landscape where koalas can thrive. Thank you to everyone who has contributed their time, expertise, and energy in recent months.
We are looking forward to another busy and fruitful year protecting koala habitat.
