Caption Koala 1:
Some of the keen koala supporters who, together with Armidale Dumaresq Council, are raising awareness to protect the local population – Left Kim and Carol Quinn, Joan Lamont, Miles Watson, Rebekah Watson, Ruth Blanch, Jenny Campbell (representing ADC) and Flynn Watson.
Caption Koala 2
One of the older locals, this koala, miraculously spotted close to the same time that the residents were photographed, is affectionately called ‘Teddy’.
IF you have recently spotted koalas living in the city, Armidale Dumaresq Council (ADC) is encouraging members of the community to provide information on sighting in order to find out exactly where individual koalas are living and how best to protect them.
The latest koala awareness campaign was initiated by Carol Quinn, a resident living in the area south of Handel Street, opposite the University of New England (UNE).
Mrs Quinn and her husband Kim noticed some regular visitors to gum trees in their yard and in the nearby park.
“We have seen a gradual increase of koala visitation in the back yard over the last four summers, and during the most recent summer they became even more frequent,” she said.
“I knew that they had also been seen around the university so it was logical that they must cross the road.”
Handel Street is a short but busy thoroughfare which is the same stretch as Booroolong Road and Queen Elizabeth Drive.
“I visited our neighbours who had also seen koalas. We all decided to sign a letter to council requesting that signs be placed by the street to raise awareness about the animals crossing.”
Civic and Recreation Services senior officer Richard Morsley took a special interest in the request and worked with council colleagues to have the signs made and erected at each end of Handel Street at the end of May this year.
“Thanks very much to everyone for getting the signs up. I never expected it to happen so promptly,” Mrs Quinn said. “The neighbours I’ve spoken to are very pleased.”
Mr Morsley worked with ADC staff to develop a dedicated page on the council’s website to further develop the neighbourhood initiative.
“Because much of Armidale’s koala habitat occurs on private land, property owners can play a vital role in assisting the survival of our local koala populations. We know that koalas live in the Armidale area and have been seen in many parts of the city,” he said.
“Council would like to collect as much data as possible and map it on our GIS software. This will give us an idea of where the koala hot spots are and where and when they are likely to roam,” Mr Morsley said. “It could just be a seasonal variation in koala activity, but it’s not unusual to see koalas, particularly males wandering at this time of year. By mapping sightings we can get a better picture of what’s going on.”
If residents wish to report a sighting or have any questions regarding koalas in Armidale, please visit www.armidale.nsw.gov.au or contact Richard Morsley on (02) 6770 3879 or email rmorsley@armidale.nsw.gov.au.
