Save the Koala Day rally protestors call on governments to act

Protestors took to the streets in Manly, NSW, on national Save the Koala Day to call on state and federal governments to do more to save the iconic marsupial.

In February this year, koalas were listed as endangered, and Friday's rally and march came a day after the NSW Government announced plans for a "habitat boost" through its support to private landholders to restore 200 hectares of koala habitat in the Northern Rivers.

The initiative will see 250,000 seedlings planted and will help the government reach its goals of doubling koala numbers in the state by 2050.

"We know that more than 50 per cent of koala habitat is on private land in NSW, which is why private landholders are a big part of the solution when it comes to conserving and protecting koalas," NSW environment minister James Griffin said.

Protestors might have marched to the Manly office of Mr Griffin's, but their anger was also targeted towards federal environment minister Tanya Plibersek.

"We need those politicians to have the balls to say no. To say no to development that damages koala habitat, to say no to housing estates that damage koala habitat, to say no to logging that damages koala habitat," Humane Society International's Nicola Beynon said.

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The rain poured down during much of the rally, but protestors stood strong - many underneath corflute signs and colourful umbrellas - as they listened.

Animal Justice Party member and City of Campbelltown councillor, Matt Stellino, said Mr Griffin's announcement was a "a distraction and a death sentence for koalas".

"He hasn't announced additional koala habitat, he's announced the planting of seedlings. They won't become koala habitat for 30 years. Koalas don't have 30 years," he said.

Mr Stellino also targeted Lendlease during the rally for its two-stage 5000-home development in his council area which he said puts koalas at risk.

In a statement posted to its website in April, 2021, Lendlease said "koalas have been our key environmental consideration during planning for Figtree Hill".

"This is evident in our $35 million comprehensive koala conservation plan, which will almost double the site's koala carrying capacity over time," the statement said.

Animal Justice Party northern beaches leader Susan Sorensen accused Mr Griffin, who is also the state MP for Manly, of doing nothing to help koalas.

"After an estimated 60,000 koalas burnt alive in the Black Summer bushfires, after land clearing increased in NSW by 60 per cent since 2017, and after koalas were listed as endangered, the minister for environment, who is supposed to protect the environment, has done nothing," she said.

"Starving, homeless, burnt, bulldozed orphaned koalas cannot confront him so today we have gathered to be their voice."

Julia Walsh, chair of northern beaches environmental group Save Manly Dam Catchment said more than 200 native species have been lost since Australia was colonised.

"Our destroy and displace approach to development has to stop," she said.

Minister Griffin declined to comment, but his spokeswoman said the NSW Government is delivering the biggest investment by any government in a single species in Australia through the more than $190 million NSW Koala Strategy.

"The strategy demonstrates how committed the government is to conservation and achieving its goal of doubling koala numbers by 2050," she said.

"It is backed by more than 30 actions to conserve and grow koala populations.

"More than 50 per cent of koala habitat is on private land in NSW which is why a big part of this new strategy is about working with private landholders to restore and conserve koala habitat on private land."