Koala Habitat

Koalas can be found throughout the Gympie region and many of these live on private property. Koalas live over a range of open forest and woodland communities but ultimately their habitat is defined by the presence of a select group of food trees.

They are found in higher densities where food trees are growing on more fertile soils and particularly along watercourses.

Koalas eat a variety of eucalypt leaves and a few other species, including Lophostemon, Melaleuca and Corymbia species. They are also known to occasionally feed on bark, buds and flowers. They rely on many of these for shelter and other behavioural purposes which makes it essential to include a variety of tree species when planting koala habitat.

Video Courtesy of: 7NEWS at 6pm 7news.com.au/news/sunshine-coast

There are over 600 species of Eucalyptus, but koalas tend to prefer around 30 species. In the Gympie region koalas prefer different trees depending on the area. eg in the western parts of the region one of their favourite trees is E crebra (narrow-leaved ironbark) whilst on the eastern side of the region one of their main preferences is E microcorys (Tallowwood).

Koalas have been noticed feeding on trees as young as 3 years old. This is particularly common when the young koala is getting ready to leave home and mother leaves them in the younger tree while she browses on a larger tree nearby.

Koala Trees in the Gympie Region

PLANTING FOR KOALA HABITAT IN THE GYMPIE REGION

Primary food trees include:

E crebra	Narrow-leaved Ironbark
E melanophloia	Silver leaf grey ironbark
E microcorys	Tallowwood
E moluccana	Gum-topped box
E propinqua	Small-fruited grey gum
E racemose	Scribbly gum
E resinifera	Red stringybark
E robusta	Swamp mahogany
E tereticornis	Qld blue gum
E tindaliae	Qld white stringybark
E exserta	Qld peppermint
C intermedia	Pink bloodwood
E. grandis	Flooded gum or rose gum
E major	Mountain grey gum
E siderophloia	Qld grey ironbark
A. subvelutina	Broad-leaved apple
E. bancroftii	Bancroft’s red gum or orange gum
E. biturbinata	Grey gum

Secondary species May be used for food or shelter

C citridora	Spotted gum
E carnea	Broad-leaved white mahogany
E fibrosa	Broad-leaved ironbark
E seeana	Narrow-leaved red gum
L confertus	Brush box
L suavelolens	Swamp box
M quinquenervia	Coastal Paperbark

LAND FOR WILDLIFE

Conserving and creating natural habitats is one of the best ways to support our region’s native flora and fauna.

The Land for Wildlife program is a free, voluntary conservation program facilitated by Gympie Regional Council encouraging private landholders to contribute towards creating a network of natural habitat that provide food, water, shelter, and protection for all wildlife. The program in Gympie is small and focuses on providing advice and enhancing member education and capacity to undertake private land conservation and network together with local like-minded landholders.

koala-habitat-rehabilitation-guideline (gympie.qld.gov.au)

Euclid Eucalypts of Australia

There is a great app available from Google Play that helps you identify the eucalypt trees using simple characteristics. For example: does it have rough or smooth bark, leaf shapes and flower types. The app has illustrated features to help visualise your choices as well as fact sheets and images of every species .
The App functions without an internet connection, making it especially valuable for people working in the field.

USEFUL LOCAL LINKS

Report Koala Sightings - Wildwatch

ANARRA Gympie Wildlife Rescue

Mary Valley Rail Trail

Wide Bay Burnett Environment Council Inc.

KOALA ACTION GYMPIE REGION INC.

The Koala Action Gympie Region Inc. (KAGR)
Email: secretary@kagr.org.au
Facebook: @koalagympie

Visit our Facebook page
where we share information about koalas in our region, and local and broader koala conservation issues.

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MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION

By helping to grow our membership, you play a vital role in ensuring the future wellbeing of koalas in our region. You’ll receive regular news and notifications of events and meetings, full voting rights, and access to koala tree planting on your property – including a suitability assessment – for a one-off cost of $100.

We hold general members meetings at Gympie & District Landcare at 9:30 AM on the third Tuesday of every month. We welcome input from all of our members. Come along and share your interest with like-minded people.

We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we meet and work, and pay our respects to elders' past, present and emerging.