To move—That this House:

(1)         notes that:

(a)         the koala is an iconic Australian species;

(b)         the Queensland, New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory koala populations have been listed as vulnerable under national environment law;

(c)         vast numbers of koalas were killed in last summer’s national bushfire crisis, including an estimated third of the New South Wales population;

(d)         in the wake of the fires the koala is being considered for up-listing (an increased threatened listing status);

(e)         habitat loss is among the most significant threats to koalas;

(f)          the Government is years overdue in making a Threatened Species Recovery Plan for the koala, which was initially due by 2015; and

(g)         the National Koala Conservation Strategy ran until 2014 and has yet to be replaced by this Government; and

(2)         therefore calls on the Government to prevent further habitat loss through yet-to-commence development in areas in which the koala is listed as vulnerable, pending the completion of the formal assessment for up listing, the making of a Threatened Species Recovery Plan, and the making of a new National Koala Conservation Strategy.