{"id":29677,"date":"2025-10-30T18:30:25","date_gmt":"2025-10-30T08:30:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/?p=29677"},"modified":"2026-01-01T01:33:25","modified_gmt":"2025-12-31T15:33:25","slug":"csiro-estimates-of-koala-populations-have-doubled-in-12-months","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/csiro-estimates-of-koala-populations-have-doubled-in-12-months\/","title":{"rendered":"CSIRO Estimates of Koala Populations Have Doubled in 12 Months"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Australia&#8217;s koala population\u2014listed as \u201cEndangered\u201d in Queensland, New South Wales, and the ACT since at least 2022\u2014is now booming across the eastern seaboard, thanks to new data from Australia&#8217;s leading science body, the CSIRO. That is according to CSIRO&#8217;s National Koala Monitoring Programme (NKMP), which, since 2023, has used expert data rather than opinion to calculate koala numbers and disturbances, <strong>reporting populations at 729,000\u2013918,000 as of May 2025\u2014more than double last year&#8217;s estimate of 224,000\u2013524,000.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-vimeo wp-block-embed-vimeo wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Overview of the National Koala Monitoring Program\" src=\"https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/video\/1111836473?h=cc18e0bce2&amp;dnt=1&amp;app_id=122963\" width=\"696\" height=\"392\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>CSIRO&#8217;s National Koala Monitoring Programme has, since 2023, used expert data to calculate koala numbers and disturbances. According to the CSIRO, &#8220;the change in the population estimate most likely reflects a combination of increased survey effort, more sensitive survey methods, the inclusion of additional data and model improvements.&#8221; Footage courtesy of CSIRO.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In effect, <strong>current populations are now about twenty times greater than the number forecast by the Australian Koala Foundation<\/strong> &#8211; between 32,000 and 58,000 after the Black Summer bushfires, and crucially, <strong>more than double the populations estimated in 2012 <\/strong>(forecast to be between 144,000 and 605,000) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dcceew.gov.au\/environment\/biodiversity\/threatened\/species\/koalas\">when Koala populations were first listed as \u2018vulnerable\u2019 in New South Wales.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1921\" src=\"https:\/\/woodcentral.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/IMG_7357-fotor-20251029114514-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"IMG 7357 fotor 20251029114514\" class=\"wp-image-29685\" srcset=\"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/IMG_7357-fotor-20251029114514-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/IMG_7357-fotor-20251029114514-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/IMG_7357-fotor-20251029114514-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/IMG_7357-fotor-20251029114514-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/IMG_7357-fotor-20251029114514-1536x1153.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/IMG_7357-fotor-20251029114514-2048x1537.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/IMG_7357-fotor-20251029114514-560x420.jpg 560w, https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/IMG_7357-fotor-20251029114514-80x60.jpg 80w, https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/IMG_7357-fotor-20251029114514-696x522.jpg 696w, https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/IMG_7357-fotor-20251029114514-1068x801.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/IMG_7357-fotor-20251029114514-1920x1441.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/IMG_7357-fotor-20251029114514-265x198.jpg 265w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Research found that Koala populations are now growing in coastal areas, including here in Lismore, on the mid-north coast of New South Wales. (Photo Credit: Supplied exclusively  to Wood Central on the Lismore Golf Course)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe latest data-driven estimate for the size of the listed <strong>(NSW, ACT, QLD) koala population is between 398,000 and 569,000,<\/strong>\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nkmp.org.au\/populations.php\">according to the CSIRO-managed program.<\/a> \u201cThis estimate is substantially greater than previous NKMP estimates, arising from the incorporation of additional data from across a wider area and model improvements.\u201d In addition, \u201c<strong>the latest population estimate for the unlisted koala population (VIC, SA) is between 303,000 and 381,000 individuals<\/strong>,\u201d it said, adding that the figure is also higher than previous NKMP estimates and varies for the same reasons as the listed population.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1988\" src=\"https:\/\/woodcentral.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/population-map-qld-nsw2025-1.png\" alt=\"population map qld nsw2025\" class=\"wp-image-29679\" srcset=\"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/population-map-qld-nsw2025-1.png 2000w, https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/population-map-qld-nsw2025-1-300x298.png 300w, https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/population-map-qld-nsw2025-1-1024x1018.png 1024w, https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/population-map-qld-nsw2025-1-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/population-map-qld-nsw2025-1-768x763.png 768w, https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/population-map-qld-nsw2025-1-1536x1527.png 1536w, https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/population-map-qld-nsw2025-1-423x420.png 423w, https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/population-map-qld-nsw2025-1-696x692.png 696w, https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/population-map-qld-nsw2025-1-1068x1062.png 1068w, https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/population-map-qld-nsw2025-1-1920x1908.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Latest CSIRO\u2011managed estimates show a significantly larger koala population than previously recorded, with 398,000\u2013569,000 individuals across listed regions (NSW, ACT, QLD) and 303,000\u2013381,000 in unlisted regions (VIC, SA). The increase reflects expanded spatial coverage and improved modelling \u2014 highlighting regional variation and the importance of targeted conservation across Australia\u2019s koala strongholds. (Photo Credit: NKMP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>According to the CSIRO, \u201cwhilst these changes in the population estimates do not necessarily indicate a change in actual koala populations, but rather reflect more data being available and a refinement of the modelling approach from previous NKMP estimates. Like any data-driven model, the estimates themselves and associated confidence bounds will change as more data are added.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button is-style-outline is-style-outline--1\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/nkmp.org.au\/populations.php\"><strong><em>Download the CSIRO Koala Population estimate.<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>While solely data-driven estimates have challenges\u2014namely, limited and fragmented data\u2014the CSIRO states they \u201chave two distinct advances\u201d over past estimates. First, there was a concerted effort to collate koala presence, absence, and abundance data from a wide range of sources: individuals, research organisations, community groups, local governments, and state governments. Second, there is an analytical framework combining all these disparate sources and data types.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1160\" height=\"1160\" src=\"https:\/\/woodcentral.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Premier-Minns-Koala-Park-fotor-20250813114825.jpg\" alt=\"Last month, Wood Central exclusively revealed that Chris Minns, NSW Premier, visited two timber mills on the mid-north coast before making a captain's call on the Great Koala National Park. Here, the Premier reviewed plans for the proposed Great Koala National Park with Andrew Hurford at Hurford's Casino sawmill. (Photo Credit: Supplied to Wood Central by Chris Minns' office)\" class=\"wp-image-27764\" srcset=\"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Premier-Minns-Koala-Park-fotor-20250813114825.jpg 1160w, https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Premier-Minns-Koala-Park-fotor-20250813114825-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Premier-Minns-Koala-Park-fotor-20250813114825-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Premier-Minns-Koala-Park-fotor-20250813114825-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Premier-Minns-Koala-Park-fotor-20250813114825-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Premier-Minns-Koala-Park-fotor-20250813114825-420x420.jpg 420w, https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Premier-Minns-Koala-Park-fotor-20250813114825-696x696.jpg 696w, https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Premier-Minns-Koala-Park-fotor-20250813114825-1068x1068.jpg 1068w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1160px) 100vw, 1160px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The findings cast scientific doubt on the decision made by Chris Minns, NSW Premier, to establish an enlarged Koala Park on the Mid North Coast last month. (Photo was supplied to Wood Central exclusively by Chris Minns&#8217; office following a visit to timber mills potentially impacted by the new park)<br><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h6 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Fact Check: Huge Study Finds Koalas&#8217; Populations Are Not Endangered in NSW Park<\/h6>\n\n\n\n<p>The latest CSIRO data comes after Wood Central exclusively revealed that koala populations are &#8216;high and stable&#8217; in NSW forests, particularly where public forests have not been affected by timber harvesting. That is according to research published by Dr Brad Law, the principal research scientist at the NSW Department of Primary Industries, and supported by Leroy Gonsalves, Traecey Brassil, and Isobel Kerr.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Published in April last year, <em><a href=\"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1002\/ece3.11351\">Broad-scale acoustic monitoring of koala populations suggests metapopulation stability, but varying below rate, in the face of&nbsp;major&nbsp;disturbances and climate extremes<\/a><\/em>, has, for the first time, used passive acoustic monitoring to analyse populations in state forests now earmarked for the Premier Minns&#8217; enlarged Great Koala National Park.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to Dr Law\u2019s research, \u201cregulated timber harvesting in state forests did not affect the trend of (koalas) either metric, nor did land tenure,\u201d with state forests (where timber harvesting is permitted) or national parks having little impact on the population of koalas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/codahosted.io\/docs\/17MRY2I0BD\/blobs\/bl-n7wejakq8M\/f1f908b6d777c5d6f6fa6993a531eecdd7095dd13c4a9e899e3d6ace62e7462be2620e485a40cb543075c2f155dd23795593de81bce748326add01251a357cb37baa8192f9d4f004f031c9d4a2728fe016697e3db9538baae07795d8963b792f7455f711\" alt=\"ece311351 fig 0001 m 1 696x983.jpg 1\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Map showing 224 monitoring sites overlayed on koala habitat suitability. Blue and green show higher suitability; yellow and red show lower suitability. (Image Credit: Research produced by Dr Bradley Law, Leroy Gonsalves, Traecey Brassil, and Isobel Kerr)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The findings come from a 7-year study (2015\u20132021) at more than 224 sites across 8.5 million hectares of forest. The study covers the 2019\/20 Black Summer Fires. While Koalas are cryptic, &#8220;acoustic sampling over many thousands of hours, combined with semi-automated call recognition, has proved exceptionally effective at detecting the species,&#8221; with high precision. &#8220;Occupancy was high over an extensive area of habitat,&#8221; the research said. The study also found that the stable trend was maintained despite severe drought and megafires that burned about 30% of their habitat in 2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h6 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Scientists use GPS and LiDAR satellites to monitor impacts on koala coups.<\/h6>\n\n\n\n<p>The research comes after Dr Law\u2019s published work, which used GPS tracking and remote sensing, including LiDAR satellites, to create timber mosaics to evaluate the impact of harvesting on Koala coups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/codahosted.io\/docs\/17MRY2I0BD\/blobs\/bl-ig1ku_VYRg\/07409e2ea59eb8f8d6b95dac3bfcbd2ea215653365250c6060072d8e961d63005b78b675561e193e145e6e15264858600373e7b21683f0a67557c357e78caa008b958f1ef401dbeb9506143173f923b42a1189753b7e133a677c5f0bd52c7de85ca30a9e\" alt=\"aec13518 fig 0004 m 982x420.jpg 1\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Distribution of GPS fixes: (a) six koalas in Maria River State Forest and (b) three koalas in Kalateenee State Forest, showing some overlap between adjacent koalas but distinct core areas. The Pacific Highway is visible on the eastern portion of the study area. (Image Credit: Research produced by Dr Bradley Law, Leroy Gonsalves, Chris Slade, Traecey Brassil, Cheyne Flanagan)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Working with Forestry Corp and the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital, Dr Law said GPS tracking and remote sensing &#8220;provides a detailed look at how koalas use the forest 5-10 years after timber harvesting.\u201d \u201cThese results strongly support our acoustic surveys (<em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.australiangeographic.com.au\/news\/2023\/08\/training-ai-to-listen-to-aussie-wildlife-is-a-bellow-and-a-hoot\/\">previously published<\/a><\/em>). They demonstrate high occupancy of koalas in northeast NSW and no difference in density between harvested state forest and controlled forest in national parks,\u201d Dr Law said. He added that it also offers insights into how koalas use areas that are heavily managed or where regeneration and restoration are a significant part of the landscape.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Australia&#8217;s koala population\u2014listed as \u201cEndangered\u201d in Queensland, New South Wales, and the ACT since at least 2022\u2014is now booming across the eastern seaboard, thanks to new data from Australia&#8217;s leading science body, the CSIRO. That is according to CSIRO&#8217;s National Koala Monitoring Programme (NKMP), which, since 2023, has used expert data rather than opinion to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":31193,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_wpscppro_dont_share_socialmedia":false,"_wpscppro_custom_social_share_image":0,"_facebook_share_type":"default","_twitter_share_type":"default","_linkedin_share_type":"default","_pinterest_share_type":"default","_linkedin_share_type_page":"default","_instagram_share_type":"default","_medium_share_type":"default","_threads_share_type":"default","_google_business_share_type":"default","_selected_social_profile":[],"_wpsp_enable_custom_social_template":false,"_wpsp_social_scheduling":{"enabled":false,"datetime":null,"platforms":[],"status":"template_only","dateOption":"today","timeOption":"now","customDays":"","customHours":"","customDate":"","customTime":"","schedulingType":"absolute"},"_wpsp_active_default_template":true},"categories":[50,113,32,85,54,83,45,44,31,56],"tags":[],"ppma_author":[70],"class_list":{"0":"post-29677","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-australia","8":"category-australian-capital-territory","9":"category-global-news","10":"category-new-south-wales","11":"category-queensland","12":"category-south-australia","13":"category-sustainability","14":"category-sustainable-forest-management","15":"category-top-stories","16":"category-victoria"},"authors":[{"term_id":70,"user_id":2,"is_guest":0,"slug":"jason","display_name":"Jason Ross","avatar_url":{"url":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/J-Ross-headshot.jpeg","url2x":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/J-Ross-headshot.jpeg"},"0":null,"1":"","2":"","3":"","4":"","5":"","6":"","7":"","8":""}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29677","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29677"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29677\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29754,"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29677\/revisions\/29754"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/31193"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29677"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29677"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29677"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=29677"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}