Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council has voted to pursue a route for the Dunns Creek Road that runs through the Wandiyali~Environa Wildlife Sanctuary. Mayor Kenrick Winchester said the route was the community's expected option, adopted by the former Queanbeyan City Council in 2015. The Australian Wildlife Conservancy warned the decision risks irreversible damage to threatened species living in the sanctuary. Councillor Katrina Willis cast the only vote against, citing unfunded infrastructure commitments. The council will now prepare a biodiversity assessment and seek funding assurances for Stage One.
Chlamydia is one of several threats facing koalas, which are listed as endangered in Queensland, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. Antibiotics can harm the gut microbes koalas need to digest eucalypt leaves, and some strains have become resistant. A single-dose vaccine developed by University of the Sunshine Coast researchers was approved in September 2025. University of Queensland professor Keith Chappell has questioned its efficacy, saying a data error affected the results. The university has defended its research, and the regulator says the vaccine is only permitted to aid in reducing clinical signs of the disease.
NSW parliament has approved plans for the Great Koala National Park, which will cover 476,000 hectares on the state's mid-north coast. The park aims to protect more than 12,000 koalas living in the region. Its creation depended on the registration of a carbon credits scheme, which the Clean Energy Regulator confirmed this week. Conservation groups welcomed the decision, although the Bob Brown Foundation said many forests had been left out and that it wants a park free of logging and car racing.
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The New South Wales government has established the state's second-largest national park, the Great Koala National Park, after more than 14 hours of debate in the Legislative Council. The park will cover 478,000 hectares between Kempsey and Grafton on the Mid North Coast. Environment Minister Penny Sharpe said it would protect more than 100 species of flora and fauna. Conservationist Ashley Love said he would keep pushing for more surrounding forest to be protected. Logging has been halted in the area, and the federal Clean Energy Regulator has registered the project for carbon credits.
Legislation to create the Great Koala National Park has been introduced to NSW Parliament. The Government says the Bill adds more than 178,000 hectares of state forest and Crown land on the Mid North Coast, protecting habitat for an estimated 12,000 koalas. Thirteen per cent of the added land will be regional park, allowing activities such as bushwalking, camping and mountain-biking. Conservation groups welcomed the move but want more consultation and scientific assessment. Timber industry representatives and North Coast Nationals MPs raised concerns, including whether carbon credit arrangements were tied to the park's creation.
A koala mother and her joey survived a dangerous encounter with traffic on the Bruce Highway near Cooroy. Wildcare says a motorist swerved to avoid the pair at Coles Creek on 12 October. The mother, Rachel, and her joey, Casper, were taken to Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital and released into nearby bushland. Wildcare says seven other koalas have been killed on the highway between Cooroy and Gympie since July. The group is calling on the Queensland Government and Transport and Main Roads to improve fencing and wildlife crossings.
Legislation to create the Great Koala National Park on the Mid North Coast has been introduced to NSW Parliament. The bill would add more than 178,000 hectares of state forest and Crown land to the park estate, protecting habitat for an estimated 12,000 koalas. Most of the land would be reserved as national park, while 13 per cent would be regional park for more intensive recreation. A support package for affected forestry workers is also included. The final creation of the park is conditional on the Clean Energy Regulator registering a carbon project.
Protesters in Canberra, Sydney, Batemans Bay, Hobart and Coffs Harbour rallied on 8 October against native forest clear-felling. The gatherings coincided with a three-day Forestry Australia symposium in Canberra on improving public trust in forestry. Forest Ecology Alliance says 70 per cent of people in NSW want logging stopped. Ashley Love said logging in Pine Creek state forest threatens koala habitat and corridors. Forest activist Chris Degan cited about $3 million in court fines and investigative costs since 2020.
MidCoast Council is inviting residents to tour water and sewer facilities during National Water Week, which runs from 19 to 25 October. Two tours of the Bootawa Water Treatment Plant combine a behind-the-scenes look at drinking water supply for 80,000 people with a walk through surrounding koala habitat. Stroud residents can join a combined tour of the town's water and sewage treatment plants. Council's Chenxi Zeng said the tours show the everyday role water plays. Water Night, on Thursday 22 October, asks people to avoid running taps between 5pm and 10pm.
