What the revised mapping shows

The revised 2025 SEQ ARKS mapping identified 22 ARKS, 160 habitat nodes, and 194 habitat connecting buffers across the region. These areas show where koala habitat exists but would benefit from management to improve connectivity, extend habitat range, and improve overall condition.
The 2025 SEQ ARKS allows us to prioritise areas significant to the preservation of koalas throughout SEQ,” says Natalie Hillcoat, who leads the Restore & Reconnect Program. “It helps us identify specific areas that could be improved to provide additional and improved habitat for koalas and other threatened species of South East Queensland. “

Supporting the SEQ Koala Strategy (2020-2025)

The mapping revision was completed to support key targets in the Queensland Government South East Queensland Koala Conservation Strategy 2020-2025:

• Populations: stabilise koala population numbers in SEQ.
• Koala habitat: achieve a net gain in total core koala habitat area.
• Koala habitat restoration: contribute to the commencement of rehabilitation to restore 10,000 hectares of koala habitat.

With koalas listed as Endangered in Queensland, this revised mapping will help direct conservation efforts where they're needed most.

Working with councils on restoration priorities

We're now working with all South East Queensland councils to select priority management actions within the identified regions. This ensures restoration efforts are targeted and relevant to local and regional needs.

The planned management actions will improve condition and extent of koala habitat up to 650 hectares across the SEQ local government areas. Work will include:

• Over 32 ha of strategic revegetation to connect wildlife corridors.
• Fire management to protect habitat (1,000 m of fire trails creation and over 13 ha of ecological burns).
• Up to 600 ha of Intensive weed control.
• Removal of over 4200m of mesh and barbed wire fencing.

Each action will be monitored to measure ecological improvements and koala population responses, building knowledge for future conservation work.

How the work helps koalas

Each type of management work directly supports koalas by improving, extending or future-proofing their habitat and making it easier for them to move through the landscape.

Weed control removes invasive species like Cat's Claw creeper and Lantana that smother native vegetation and natural regeneration. When these weeds are controlled, koala food trees can continue to grow and thrive. Natural recruitment of native species can also occur once the weeds are removed, gradually restoring the habitat through a succession of new food and habitat trees for a sustainable future.

Photo 1. Area to undertake Cats Claw weed treatment to allow for koala food trees to continue to grow.

Photo 2. Area where Lantana control has been undertaken, allowing natural recruitment of native species. Lantana that hasn’t been treated can be seen in the back of the image.

Photo 3. Cat's claw and vine weed treatment area.

Revegetation and planting create new patches of habitat and connect existing fragments. By planting native species, particularly koala food trees, we're creating safe corridors that allow koalas to move between habitat areas without having to cross open ground where they're vulnerable to cars, dogs, and other threats.

Photo 4: Revegetation/planting area of native species on a Land for Wildlife property that will be expanded under this project.

Fire management protects koala habitat from high-intensity fires while maintaining the ecological benefits of low-intensity burning. This keeps habitat healthy and reduces fuel loads that could lead to devastating hot wildfires.

Photo 5. An area that has been prepared using an ecological burn, scheduled for revegetation, and located near a known local koala population and habitat.

Removal of mesh and barbed wire fencing allows koalas and other species to move through habitat free of restrictions and injury that can be caused by old stands of barbed wire. Removal of fencing also allows better access to bush regenerators to access and conduct bush regeneration safely.

Working together

The Restore & Reconnect program works in partnership with the Queensland Government Department of Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation, SEQ local government authorities, First Nations organisations, non-government organisations, and community groups.

Protecting koalas requires everyone working together, from government agencies and councils to Traditional Owners and local communities. As South East Queensland continues to grow, programs like this help ensure koalas can move safely between habitat patches that connect across the region.

Acknowledgements

This program is funded by the Queensland Government and runs in collaboration with the Department of Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation, Local Government Authorities, Traditional Owners, and Landcare and community groups.