The latest setback to Campbelltown's Koalas is the delay of a promised Koala underpass due to a developer impasse, illustrating the pitfalls of leaving important conservation measures in developer hands. 

The 'Glen Lorne' Koala underpass was required as an EBPCA condition when federal approval was given to developer Lendlease to build a  residential development in Mt. Gilead called 'Figtree Hill' in Campbelltown LGA. This condition required the delivery of a Koala Plan of Management, which included two Koala underpasses under Appin Road, linking koala habitat on the the east side of Appin Road to Koala habitat on the West, allowing movement via Koala habitat corridors from the Georges to Nepean Rivers.

In November 2024 Lendlease sold the unfinished development to developer Stocklands, who in turn took responsibility for delivery of the underpasses, with a commitment the Glen Lorne underpass would be delivered in the first half of this year. 

Koala Underpass Locations, credit: Stocklands

However when we raised issues on the delay on underpasses as part of our 2025 progress report release in July, Yahoo News uncovered the reason for the underpass not being completed was Lendlease refusing to give Stocklands access to the land it still held on the other side of Appin Road.  On further investigation by ABC News, Lendlease doubled down and said it was not their responsibility to do so. And so there is still no underpass with Koalas trapped and East West connectivity now cut off by fencing. 

How Lendlease was able to sell a development reliant on the fulfilment of Koala Plan of Management to proceed, without including the small parcels of land required to fulfil this is a failure of governance. Sadly, but not surprisingly, both NSW and Federal government have proceeded in buck-passing with no department seemingly willing or able to resolve the conflict. 

The is creating a significant impact on Koalas, where they are now cut off from Koala habitat "biobanks" that have been used as offsets by the developer by retiring Koala species credits. It is inconsistent with the:

• National Recovery Plan for the Koala, 
• developer approval for Gilead Stage 1, 
• decision to not self-refer the Appin Road upgrade to EBPC referrals. 
• NSW Chief Scientist Campbelltown Koala advice

We are also concerned that revegetation efforts on the developer side have failed, and are nonexistent on the Georges River side, another undelivered requirement of the federally approved Koala Plan of Management. There is no known start date for the second Koala underpass promised at the Beulah Biobank, despite this location now also fenced off to Koalas. 

We've written to the Federal Environment Minister, asking for an urgent independent audit of the situation, and that no further development approvals be given Mt. Gilead (stage 1 or 2) or the Appin Road upgrade until this matter is resolved. 

We've also written to the NSW Planning Minister, the NSW Transport Minister, and the NSW Environment minister asking for urgent intervention. If no quick resolution can be reached, there should be imposition of penalties on the developers, given the breach of environmental conditions.

We continue to publicly call for all Koala habitat in Campbelltown, including the 116 hectare Mallaty Creek Koala corridor in Campbelltown to be saved, ensuring this Chlamydia free Koala population have room to move and grow without being pushed into the Chlamydia zone further South.

If you'd like to support our calls for urgent intervention please email Federal Environment Minister Murray Watt: [email protected] asking him to to resolve what is now a significant impact on Koalas with his State colleagues. 

Koala protections must come before development, and should not be left in developer hands.