Australian Government Introduces Plan for the Great Koala National Park to Save Koalas

In New South Wales, Australia, soft and adorable koalas are at risk of becoming extinct — they are endangered. They have survived droughts, heatwaves, wildfires, disease, and habitat loss. New South Wales is the koalas’ home, but those things are affecting them. The Australian government says that koalas could become extinct by 2050 if nothing is done to help them.

Koalas are indigenous to Australia. They live in trees, much on eucalyptus leaves — “which isn’t very nutritious,” says Kirsty, a worker at Edinburgh Zoo — and can sleep for around 22 hours per day. While they are awake, they take up a lot of their time eating, and when they move around, they do so quickly. Koalas have two thumbs to hold on to the branch, preventing them from falling. Also, koalas don’t need to drink a lot of water “because eucalyptus has a lot of moisture in it,” according to Kirsty. That makes helping koalas even more vital.

As a result of the threat of extinction, on Tuesday, September 9, 2025, the Australian government announced a solution to the ongoing threat of extinction, including the current chlamydia epidemic, towards koalas: they have decided to create a Great Koala National Park. They will combine many national parks in New South Wales, making the park 476,000 hectares in size. Additionally, in New South Wales, cutting down trees impacts the amount of space koalas have to live, so logging — businesses chopping down trees — is temporarily banned there.

With logging banned, some logging businesses and timber companies will be affected. The Australian government predicts the ban will impact timber mills and approximately 300 jobs. As a result, they will pay workers and ask Aboriginal people (people native to Australia) about jobs in the Great Koala National Park.

Australia has been working on the plan for the Great Koala National Park for ten years, so the reveal of where the park will be and the funding is a big step.

Environmental groups are reacting positively, possibly protecting over 12,000 koalas, along with other habitats and animals in the park. “So, this was just such good news for us and such a huge relief,” says Paula Flack, from the National Park Association of New South Wales. Also, “The declaration of the Great Koala National Park in New South Wales is massive news, really good news, and also desperately needed,” according to Darcie Carruthers, from the Australian Conservation Foundation. “This park is great news for koalas, and it should be great for people too,” states Dr. Stuart Blanch, a conservation scientist from the charity WWF-Australia.

According to the Wilderness Society, “Conservation wins don’t get much bigger than this. This historic announcement will give koalas a fighting chance for a future.”

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