Council
28 August, 2023
Key partnerships strengthen koala awareness
SOMERSET Regional Council is collaborating with several key organisations to highlight koala awareness and provide the community with more information about this unique native animal.
In partnership with the Griffith University Social Marketing team, Somerset Regional Council is about to commence a campaign designed to inform and educate people about things like koala dispersal, how to spot koalas for the koala count, what to do if you come across an injured animal and ways to help keep them stay safe.
Councillor Kylee Isidro said the best way to help the koala population was to be well informed.
“Working with the Griffith University Social Marketing team means we can utilise their experience and knowledge to package information into practical, accessible tips to share with our community. With koala dispersal already occurring and breeding season just around the corner, there will be a much larger number of koalas out and about than usual, and these are often on roads and in public area, creating real safety issues for them,” Cr Isidro said.
“We’ll be using social media to share a lot of this information, and we’ll also be sharing information at our Free Tree Days, so when ratepayers come along to collect their free trees, they can also get information about koalas supplied through the Griffith University Social Marketing team.
“You’ll soon be seeing banners and posters in our townships promoting this information, and I encourage our residents and visitors to inform themselves through this campaign so they know what to do should they come across an injured animal, or a koala trapped in their backyard.”
Council is also participating in the Esk koala survey and rehabilitation project with partners Care4Esk, the Australian Earth Laws Alliance (AELA) and University of Sunshine Coast. This project, focused on Mt Glenrock in Esk, seeks to assess koala numbers and genetics, whilst simultaneously improving habitat characteristics through selective weed removal, and planting of koala habitat and food tree species.
