The Clarence Valley is internationally recognised as one of the world’s most biodiverse regions.

Biodiversity is the variety of plants, animals, fungi and microorganisms, that make up the natural environment.

Australia’s biodiversity is in decline. The key threats that impact our biodiversity include:

• Loss, degradation and fragmentation of habitat
• Invasive species
• Inappropriate fire regimes
• Unsustainable use and management of natural resources
• Changes to aquatic environments and water flows
• Climate change

As a result, many species and subspecies of plants and animals are listed as threatened, which means they are in danger of becoming extinct.

Clarence Valley is home to 173 threatened animal species, including the coastal emu, koala, and glossy black cockatoo, along with many birds, frogs, and small mammals. There are also 170 threatened plants and 18 threatened ecological communities.

Threatened species projects

Clarence Landcare partners with Government agencies and other organisations to deliver projects that directly contribute to the recovery and conservation of threatened species through on-ground action and raising public awareness. Our projects focus on:

• Maintaining and rehabilitating natural areas
• Raising awareness of significant flora and fauna and their values
• Prioritising the protection of threatened species and populations
• Supporting and promoting a range of property conservation agreements and their value to conservation

Although our projects may aim to improve improve conditions for a target species, in implementing these conservation actions we are enhancing habitats to benefit all species that inhabit the area.

Koalas

Koalas in Queensland, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory were listed as a threatened species by the Australian Government in 2012 under the EPBC Act. Their conservation listing was ‘vulnerable to extinction’, but due to continuing decline in their numbers and the ongoing pressure of threats, their status was raised to ‘Endangered’ in 2022.

The NSW and Queensland Governments followed suit and also raised their status from ‘vulnerable’ to ‘endangered’ the same year, with ACT doing the same in 2023.

The continuing decline of these tree-dwelling marsupials, one of Australia’s most iconic animals, is being driven by a number of key threats including:

• loss, modification and fragmentation of habitat through land clearing and intense wildfires
• disease (chlamydia and koala retro virus)
• vehicle strike
• predation by roaming or domestic dogs

As a result, koala conservation and management programs are being undertaken on national, state and local levels. Through the NSW Koala Strategy (2021), funding is being provided to local communities to deliver on-ground actions. Through these initiatives, Clarence Landcare has received funding to undertake both koala habitat restoration and community education projects.