Mallaty Creek is the most direct Koala corridor from the Georges River to the Nepean River in the Sydney Basin, yet the Government plans to terminate it. A number of false and misleading reasons have been given by Government officials to justify this.

Mallaty Creek is not recognised by the Chief Scientist - FALSE & MISLEADING
The Minns Government is following prejudicial actions by the previous Liberal Planning Minister, Anthony Roberts, NOT the Chief Scientist. Mallaty Creek WAS recognised by the Chief Scientist which recommended Mallaty Creek as “suitable for koala movement and should be protected with exclusion fencing and additional buffer zones” (Campbelltown Koala Advice Report 1, 2020). This advice was intended to be implemented in full, but was changed with new limiting terms of reference favouring developers when Anthony Roberts returned as Planning Minister last term, insisting only one corridor could be kept.  

Mallaty Creek is not wide enough to facilitate koala movement - HYPOCRITICAL
Menangle Creek (Corridor A), where the current Koala underpass at Noorumba Reserve is being built, is much narrower than Mallaty Creek (Corridor D). Mallaty Creek Corridor’s existing habitat is 40% wider than the Menangle Creek Corridor with the Chief Scientist remarking on the “wide corridors up to 500 m at several points” (2020, pg 53). Menangle’s average width is 214m whereas Mallaty’s average width is 302m with the area closest to Appin Road well over the recommended width at 605m. It’s not surprising that Koalas are currently using it, risking their lives crossing Appin Road.

Image: Width Measurements of Mallaty Creek Koala Corridor

Mallaty does not cross Appin Road and is not connected- NONSENSICAL & OUT OF CONTEXT

With the Minns Government bringing forward the Georges River National Park, Mallaty is the MOST DIRECT corridor to the Georges River. Indeed, there is a small existing culvert already under Mallaty Creek that could be widened and an existing route to Georges River on state land. The Chief Scientist Report states that: Corridor D has fewer barriers to crossing Appin Road and therefore may provide a more achievable crossing (2020 pg. 10) when discussing locations of potential wildlife crossings.

Image: Koala Connectivity Study by Biolink showing Mallaty Creek as the most connect East-West Corridor. 

The planned Transport Corridor will cross Mallaty Creek - SELECTIVE
The planned 6 lane/40m wide transport corridor listed in the MacArthur Growth Area plan will alarmingly cut through every East-West Koala Corridor. It cannot be selectively used as an excuse not to protect Mallaty which is already listed as a Biodiversity Corridor of regional significance.  The Transport Corridor must not be allowed to wreck any of the corridors.

There are currently adequate protections for Koalas - FALSE
After record Koala deaths on roads in the south west of Sydney since Labor took office (Bionet, 2024), including displaced females and joeys, and major new research showing an alarming lack of genetic diversity in this population (Hogg & McLennan, 2024), every current connection to Koalas is critical to their survival. The report’s author Professor Carolyn Hogg stated “The loss of genetic diversity is a worrying trend that is being exacerbated by urban development, habitat destruction and climate change. Isolated populations are at higher risk of inbreeding, making them more susceptible to disease and vulnerable to future threats. If we want to see koalas in generations to come, we need to act now.”. 

More awareness of Koalas on the roads is only one essential action - Koalas need all in use corridors protected and connected by underpasses as well, amidst major urban sprawl.

The Minns Government should immediately:

• Implement the original advice of the Chief Scientist.
• Respect Campbelltown Council’s Koala Plan of Management written by expert ecologist Dr. Phillips which retains Mallaty Creek.
• Adhere to the mapped Habitat Critical to the Survival of the Koala in the CPCP.
• Stop minimising the impact of development on this precious disease-free Koala population.

Image: Underpass locations in a report prepared for Campbelltown Council by Biolink in 2018. 

Ask your local MP to help save Sydney’s Koalas: tec.org.au/ask_your_local_mp_to_save_koalas