Analysis of the last year of vehicle strike in South West shows a welcome drop in Appin Road deaths as a result of fencing. This is, however, masking an increase of Koala vehicle strike on other roads, including ten roads where vehicle strike has not been previously recorded, primarily in Campbelltown Council.

This fencing of Appin Road in Campbelltown Council has cut off access to significant amounts of Koala habitat, including areas specifically claimed as offsets for Koalas by the Figtree Hill development, with revegetation a barrier to using the underpass currently under construction.

A total of 46 Koalas were recorded as struck on the roads of South West Sydney (Liverpool, Sutherland, Campbelltown, Wollondilly LGAs) in 2025, with 80% of these being fatal. This is likely an underestimate because it has been shown that around half of all Koala vehicle strikes are unreported (Phillips and Fitzgerald, 2014). 

Number of roads Koalas being struck on increasing

Not only is vehicle strike rising on roads other than Appin Road in total, but the number of roads where Koalas are being struck is also rising, with Koalas being struck on 10 additional roads in 2025 that recorded no strikes in the years preceding. Koalas being struck on more roads make mitigation measures more difficult to implement with both NSW State Government managed roads and local council managed roads increasing over the last two years. 

Vehicle strike hotspots on Appin Road remain - an underpass at Mallaty Creek is needed

Where there is no fencing, Koalas are still attempting to cross Appin Road with a number of deaths and rescues occurring at recognised Koala corridor Mallaty Creek - this is the Koala corridor where no crossing will be provided, rather all 116 hectares of the most direct, unimpeded route of remnant Koala Habitat between the Nepean and the Georges River will be cut off and lost to Koalas.  We are calling on the NSW Government to reverse this terrible decision that sacrificed Mallaty Creek to developers, and add an underpass to allow Koalas to maintain their natural inclination to travel East-West. 

Vehicle Strike at Mallaty Creek since 01/01/2025 (source Bionet 2026)

Functional underpasses and associated Koala corridors remain years away. 

Of the planned underpasses and associated Koala Corridors in the MacArthur Growth Area, none are functional. The Noorumba/Glen Lorne underpass has been consructed, but still requires significant revegetation, with the planned route for Koalas to move to the Nepean (Menangle Creek Corridor A) remaining without vegetation. We are alarmed in the developer's annual compliance report for this year, signed off by NSW Planning, that in the table of Compliance with commitments in approved Koala Management Plans, open space areas which are required to be vegetated with Koala feed trees is listed as "not yet needed" (Stocklands Annual Compliance Report, page 16). The other planned underpasses at Buelah and Ousedale Creek are years away with the Ousedale Creek Corridor also requiring significant demolition of Greyhound Racing infastructure and significant revegetation to be functional.

While the surrounding land remains rural, Koalas can move around via paddock trees, but once development commences, as we have seen in Appin and Gilead, Koalas become trapped, diverted and then struck on an increasing amount of roads. 

Locations of Koala Corridor A (Menangle Creek Corridor) and Koala Underpass at Gilead in Campbelltown LGA (source NSW Planning)

Loss of habitat in Campbelltown Council to the East increases the risk of Koalas travelling South towards Chlamydia. 

More Action from NSW Government is needed

It is not enough to fence off access to important Koala biobanks and hundreds of hectares of Koala habitat in migratory corridors and claim success while Koalas are diverted to a similar fate on other roads. We are calling on the government to:

• Implement our Greater Sydney Koala Corridor Map including wildlife crossings at key corridor intersections
• Commit to saving Koala Corridor Mallaty Creek with an additional underpass at Appin Road
• Reject Cumberland Plain Conservation Plan Modifications in Koala Corridors
• Seek updated advice on all South West Sydney Koala Corridors in the face of these significant impacts from the NSW Chief Scientist

If you would like to help, email NSW Environment Minister Penny Sharpe [email protected] and ask for these measures to be implemented urgently to improve the fate of Koalas in South West Sydney.