sports - 2026-05-29

New koala corridor map flags urgent habitat pinch points across Greater Sydney, with Pittwater warning in focus

Source: www.wires.org.au

A new koala corridor map for Greater Sydney is being promoted as an urgent planning tool, as wildlife advocates warn habitat linkages are being lost faster than protections are being put in place.

A new koala corridor map for Greater Sydney is being promoted as an urgent planning tool, as wildlife advocates warn habitat linkages are being lost faster than protections are being put in place. The map, produced by the Sydney Basin Koala Network (SBKN) and funded by WIRES, identifies existing and potential habitat connections stretching from the Central Coast to the Blue Mountains, Western Sydney and the Illawarra. SBKN was created by WIRES and the Total Environment Centre. Supporters of the work say the stakes are immediate: as bushland linkages are cut by development, koalas are forced into smaller habitat pockets and face higher risks moving between food trees, habitat areas and mates — including road strikes. The corridor debate is also playing out in Sydney’s planning system. In July, Planning Minister Paul Scully said proposed changes to the Cumberland Plain Conservation Plan (CPCP) were intended to balance conservation with urban development and support delivery of 73,000 new homes. Conservationists argue the amendments still allow a key link — described as the most direct connection between the Georges and Nepean Rivers, the Mallaty Creek link — to be severed. SBKN’s...