How are our koalas really doing?

They are the furry faces plastered over Australian tourism ads, the unique eucalypt-dwelling creatures that spark such fascination in visitors and locals alike.

But despite the koala’s cheery prominence on billboards, logos and in kids’ books, the reality for our photogenic friends is far more bleak. Koalas are at real risk of extinction.

How are koalas really doing?  

_{Koala in Duncan, South Australia}

2025 study shows staggering amounts of koala habitat is being bulldozed under our broken nature ‘protection’ laws 

There has been some fantastic news out of New South Wales with the Minns Labor Government declaring the long-awaited Great Koala National Park. Our recent findings highlight that it couldn’t come soon enough. 

ACF recently conducted a study that found more koala habitat has been approved for destruction under our national nature laws in 2025 than in any other year with nearly 4,000 hectares’ worth of bush destroyed. 

This is despite the koala being listed as an endangered species and the federal government recognising habitat destruction and fragmentation as a ‘major’ and ‘increasing’ threat to the iconic marsupial.

Federally-approved bulldozing is just the tip of the iceberg of nature destruction 

In the years since the koala was declared a threatened species, federal governments have used Australia’s failing nature ‘protection’ law, to give the greenlight to tear down almost 38,000 hectares of its habitat – more than for any other threatened species. 

But this is a drop in the ocean compared to the scale of destruction that’s happening ‘outside’ the national law. 

Since 2011, ACF estimates that nearly 2.3 million hectares of likely koala habitat have been torn down across Queensland and New South Wales.  

98% of this destruction occurred without even being assessed for its impact by the national law meant to protect threatened species like koalas and their homes. 

 
Above: Koala habitat being bulldozed for beef production near Mount Hallen in Queensland.  
Explore koala habitat destruction across Queensland and NSW here. 

This underscores how little the laws that are meant to protect nature are enforced. 

Additionally, given that the koala has been recognised as threatened with extinction since 2012 and therefore should be protected from harm, it shows the total failure of the current laws to keep trees in the ground and prevent the further decline of the species.  

Agriculture is a key driver of koala habitat destruction 

Of the 2.3 million hectares of likely koala habitat flattened since 2011, around 1.6 million hectares were destroyed for agriculture. Most of this destruction has occurred in Queensland where the biggest driver of deforestation is beef production. 

While most farmers are good land managers who value and protect trees on their properties, the bulldozing of the Aussie bush by a minority of beef producers is the key reason Australia remains a global deforestation hotspot. 

_{Herd of livestock in outback Australia}

Most Australian beef is exported, with the rest sold here in our major supermarkets and fast-food outlets. Woolworths, Coles, Hungry Jacks and McDonalds are the major players making huge profits using their market dominance to push farmers and nature to the edge.  

These businesses have a massive influence on the beef industry and our food system, so we’re pushing them to ensure their profits aren’t being earned by sending animals like koalas towards extinction. 

Koalas need national laws that will keep forests standing 

Not only do Australia’s national nature laws need to be properly enforced to ensure rogue bulldozers aren’t getting away with rampant destruction, they also need to set clear expectations for all industries that impact nature. 

Right now, the Albanese Government is re-writing Australia’s national nature law. It has a once in a generation opportunity to get this right by creating laws that stop extinctions, support healthy communities, protect jobs and make sure the land, water and air we all depend on are healthy and thriving. 

In its revision of Australia’s national nature law, the Albanese government must: 

• Set clear rules to protect habitat for threatened species like the koala. 

• Close deforestation loopholes to stop rogue bulldozers and native forest logging. 

• Establish an independent referee to enforce the law and get politics out of decision making. 

• Factor climate harm into all decisions to protect communities and wildlife from algal blooms, coral bleaching and dangerous weather that’s being turbo-charged by burning coal and gas. 

We have between now and the November to push Albanese and his colleagues to make these laws as effective as they can be. 

Please, sign the open letter to Labor: Fix our broken nature laws! Protect the animals and places we love and safeguard the livelihoods of all of us who rely on thriving nature.