Canberra sources stated that the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) warned on Friday that the koala population in Australia's of New South Wales (NSW) state may face extinction by 2050 if the current rate of tree felling is maintained. Meanwhile the WWF said in a new report that since the repeal of the NSW Native Vegetation Act in August 2017, the forest clearing rate has tripled to a total of 20,258 acres in the north of the state.
Furthermore according to the WWF, this may have led to the destruction of the habitat of 247 native species, including the koala, an iconic native Australian marsupial that has been designated as vulnerable to extinction under commonwealth and state law. WWF-Australia conservationist Stuart Blanch in a statement "WWF-Australia estimates there are likely less than 20,000 koalas left in NSW and at the current rate, they are on track to be extinct in the state by as early as 2050”.
Nature
Conservation Council CEO Kate Smolski said "The NSW government is
responsible opening the flood gates to the destruction of koala forests and
woodlands on a scale we have not seen for more than 20 years". Previously last
year, the WWF warned that the felling of trees reduced by 53 and 26% respectively
the koala population in the eastern states of Queensland and NSW.
