Wicked problems are those that have social and cultural intricacies that make them very difficult to solve. For instance, while many people may be passionate about koala conservation, they still live on the coastal floodplain, drive a car and own a dog. Many of the threats that face koalas in the urban and rural-residential zones, such as road strike, disease and dog attacks, are ‘wicked problems’ that are expensive and difficult to solve.
The best thing we can do for koalas is provide them with large areas of consolidated, high quality habitat remote from the many threats that impact them or their habitat. This is not to say that researching disease and undertaking community education to reduce the incidence of dog attack and road strike is not important, but to reiterate that large areas of quality habitat are vital to koala conservation. The NSW Government has introduced a range of mechanisms where landholders with koala habitat can receive financial and other incentives for participating in conservation initiatives (see the Biodiversity Conservation Trust and Partner With Us). Additionally, some priority lands are being considered for purchase for koala conservation (see Purchasing Land with Priority Koala Habitat).
Interested in Purchasing Land?
The Hastings-Macleay Region often has properties for sale that contain high-quality habitat. Such areas may be suitable for ‘biodiversity credits’. Because the koala shares its habitat with a wide number of other threatened species, protecting koala habitat can return multiple species credits and thus better monetary returns. Coastal floodplain areas, where development pressures are highest, are also often prime koala habitat. Effectively by purchasing koala habitat on the coastal floodplain, your property will likely have a high proportion of those species credits required by development and thus good market interest and value. If you are interested in purchasing land for koala conservation, The Koala Recovery Partnership can assist in a number of ways (see Partner With Us).
Opportunities also exist for purchasing ‘greenfield” (i.e. unvegetated) sites and conducting koala habitat plantings. With teams of willing volunteers, free tree giveaways annually through the The Koala Hospital and an increasing market that requires planted offsets of koala food trees, a number of avenues for support exist and the Koala Recovery Partnership is here to help.
Do You Already Own Land?
If you own a rural property that has bushland in the Hastings-Macleay Region, and are interested in learning about opportunities (financial or otherwise) that exist to help protect koalas or the remnant bushland on your property, contact the Koala Recovery Partnership today. We can talk to you about the options that may exist for your property and put you in touch with the relevant people.
Koala Habitat typically supports numerous other species, such as the Swift Parrot. Purchasing and protecting koala habitat can therefore protect a wide range of other species. Under certain schemes, this can attract multiple financial returns.