The Clarence Valley Koala Working Group (CVKWG) was established in August 2020 to strengthen koala conservation across the Clarence Valley. The group brings together representatives from the NSW Government, Clarence Valley Council, local environmental organisations, Landcare, WIRES, and community members from areas where koalas are known to occur. The Working Group plays a key role in progressing strategic planning for koala conservation and coordinating on-ground efforts across the region. Its purpose is to review current information, identify local threats, prioritise actions, strengthen local community engagement and guide collaborative efforts to improve outcomes for the koala population.

The group’s specific goals include:

• Reviewing relevant koala information for the Clarence Valley.
• Identifying key threats such as habitat loss, vehicle strike, and dog attack, and prioritising areas where these threats can be mitigated.
• Determining knowledge gaps and identifying further research needs within the region.
• Sourcing funding and resources to deliver targeted conservation and recovery actions.

CVKWG and partners have been successful in:

• Planting over 15,000 Koala food trees linking and creating corridors,
• Removing threatening weed species, on – 413ha across 50+ properties, aiding movement and enhancement of koalas and their habitats
• Secured Private Land Conservation Agreements
• Hosted 10+public awareness events, increasing interest in the local community to be involved in Koala habitat restoration works as part of a larger Clarence regional landscape scale project.

Envite Environment has been an active member of the Clarence Valley Koala Working Group since its formation in 2020. As part of the group, Envite contributes ecological expertise, local knowledge, and on-ground project delivery experience.

Envite’s involvement includes:

• Supporting the development and delivery of local koala management and recovery actions.
• Providing input into strategic planning and threat mitigation priorities.
• Collaborating with partners to source funding and resources for habitat restoration, community engagement, and conservation projects.

Envite’s role strengthens the group’s ability to deliver practical, effective, and coordinated actions that benefit koala populations across the Clarence Valley.

Funding for priority actions would not have been possible without the support from Clarence Valley Council, WWF Australia, NSW Koala Strategy, Fire to Flourish Clarence Valley with support from the Northern Rivers Community Foundation, Clarence Environment Centre and Lions Club Environment.

Learn more at Koalas in the Clarence