Growing a Future for Byron’s Famous but Stressed Koalas
Left to right: Nicole Forrester, Chief Regenerative Officer, WWF-Australia. Margaret Lama, Postal Services Officer, Australia Post. Tanya Pritchard, Koala Recovery, WWF-Australia. Nicky Tracey, General Manager of Community and Stakeholder Engagement, Australia Post.
More than 2,000 native trees have been planted in Arakwal National Park, creating vital new habitat for Byron Bay’s much-loved koalas and helping connect wildlife corridors across Country.
Byron Bay’s koalas may be among the most photographed in Australia, but life on the Cape Byron headland comes with increasing pressure.
The koala population around The Pass is confined to a relatively small patch of over-browsed forest, while hundreds of thousands of visitors come to the area each year hoping to catch a glimpse of one of Australia’s most iconic animals.
Now, a major community planting effort is helping give the local population more room to move, feed and thrive.
On 29 July, more than 2,000 trees were planted in Arakwal National Park, extending habitat south for koalas leaving the headland in search of eucalypts.
The community event was organised by Bangalow Koalas in consultation with the Arakwal National Park joint management committee, which includes representatives of the Native Title Traditional Owners.
Arakwal National Park Rangers, Byron Bay High School students, Bangalow Koalas volunteers and representatives from Australia Post joined the planting.
Australia Post is supporting the project through its partnership with WWF-Australia and the Koalas Forever program, which aims to restore koala habitat and connect wildlife corridors across the Northern Rivers.
Arakwal-Bundjalung man and National Parks Ranger Norm Graham and Bangalow Koalas President Linda Sparrow.
Nicky Tracey, General Manager of Community and Stakeholder Engagement, said Australia Post was proud to expand its support in the region.
Australia Post and WWF-Australia have been in partnership since 2023, with a shared goal to protect koalas and inspire positive action for nature.
This year, we are excited to strengthen our support for WWF’s Koalas Forever Program, with a focus on restoring habitat and connecting wildlife corridors in the key Northern Rivers region.
Key initiatives including community tree planting days are a great way that we can come together as a community to make a positive and meaningful impact to support nature regeneration.
WWF-Australia Chief Regenerative Officer Nicole Forrester said the benefits of the planting extend well beyond koalas.
My hope is that in years to come, this area will be part of a thriving corridor of native vegetation, supporting koalas and the many other species that share their forest homes. But I also hope that people see something bigger.
Today's planting demonstrates what is possible when conservation organizations, businesses, First Nations partners, and local communities come together around a shared vision for caring for Country.
Regeneration is about more than restoring trees. It's about restoring healthy relationships between people and nature, listening deeply to those who have cared for Country for generations, and creating a future where nature, communities, and wildlife can thrive together.
More than 2000 seedlings were planted in an area devoid of trees so that koalas dispersing from the headland (in the background) have food and safe passage.
Healing Country and reconnecting habitat
The planting site also carries a deeper history.
Arakwal-Bundjalung man and National Parks Ranger Norm Graham said the new vegetation would help create connections between Cape Byron State Conservation Area and Arakwal National Park.
These plantings will help connect koala friendly vegetation between Cape Byron State Conservation Area and Arakwal National Park by providing food and reducing the pressure faced at the Pass and Cape.
Koalas have been observed in Arakwal NP moving to and from the Cape and these plantings will help future survival by providing a valuable food source in their journey across Country.
Our Country's had a lot of impacts over time. Where we're standing today has been impacted by sand mining.
It is a little bit of a scar on the landscape, and today is about healing that scar.
For Bangalow Koalas President Linda Sparrow, creating additional habitat around the headland is particularly urgent.
This area so urgently needed planting because we've got The Pass koalas on the other side of the headland and they've only got a small area.
Their trees are over browsed; they’re under the constant threat of car strikes and getting harassed by tourists and people in general.
So we wanted to create habitat to give them a corridor to spread out away from those risks.
A resident koala at The Pass. Credit: Mark Badgery
Koalas Forever
Australia Post and WWF-Australia have partnered since 2023 to help protect koalas and regenerate nature across Australia. Australia Post has renewed its commitment for a further three years, supporting WWF-Australia’s Koalas Forever program.
The Arakwal National Park planting is also part of the annual Koala Champions campaign, running through Australia Post outlets nationwide during August.
The campaign encourages Australians to support WWF-Australia’s conservation work, learn more about threats facing koalas and their habitat and take action to help protect and restore nature.