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New Environment Minister put on notice in front of 1,500 of the world's best conservation biologists: "Do you have 'Watt' it takes to introduce a Koala Protection Act, or will you be responsible for the species' demise?"

Australian Koala Foundation

Chair of the Australian Koala Foundation (AKF), Deborah Tabart OAM will today address the 32nd International Congress for Conservation Biology (ICCB 2025) in Brisbane, calling on the newly appointed Environment Minister, Senator the Hon Murray Watt, to urgently implement a Koala Protection Act, or accept responsibility for the demise of the species.

Today welcoming the 16^th Environment Minister to serve throughout her tenure as Chair of the AKF, Tabart said a Koala Protection Act is the only legislative reform that stands a chance of saving Australia’s most beloved species. Yet, 15 consecutive Ministers have cowered to the stronghold of industry and refused to consider it as an option.

“A prerequisite for the position of Environment Minister has always been the ability to bury one’s head in the sand. 15 consecutive Ministers have ignored AKF’s science, refused to look at our world-leading habitat mapping, and in recent cases even denied a simple meeting,” Tabart said.

“Our democracy demands that our Ministers listen to the experts in their fields and face up to even the hardest of truths. So today, I ask the newly appointment Minister Watt to do what his predecessor refused to do - meet with me, talk about the science behind the plight of the Koala and implement real legislative reform to save it.”

Speaking today at the ICCB 2025, Tabart will make her plea to Minister Watt in front of the world’s best and brightest minds in the field of conservation biology. ICCB is a global forum for addressing conservation challenges and for presenting new research in conservation science and practice. It will be attended by over 1,500 conservation professionals and students from around the world.

In her address to the ICCB today, Tabart will also showcase AKF’s 30 year effort to map the entire geographical range of the Koala – spanning 1.5 million square kilometres across Australia. This world-leading science is a first-of-its-kind, yet offers no benefit in the hands of academics alone – it must be adopted by our political leaders and used as a catalyst to act.

“The Koala is the canary in the coal mine for the entire Australian ecosystem. If we can’t save the Koala, we can’t save anything. So, my question to Minister Watt is clear – will you be the reason the Koala survives, or the reason for its demise?”

The geographic range of the Koala covers 20% of Australia's stunning landscape, a habitat that also supports millions of other species, all of which could be preserved with a single signature from the new Environment Minister.

With Koalas now listed as Endangered in NSW, QLD and the ACT, AKF is calling on Minister Watt to enact a Koala Protection Act - a landmark piece of legislation that will enshrine the protection of Koala habitats and ensure a sustainable future for the species. 

Key Facts:

International Congress for Conservation Biology:

Date: Sunday 15 – Friday 19^th June 2025

Venue: Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre

Deborah Tabart OAM will be addressing the Congress on Monday 16^th June, but available for media interviews all week

About us:

The Australian Koala Foundation (AKF) is the principal non-profit, non-government organisation dedicated to the effective management and conservation of the Koala and its habitat. Our main goals are to refine and update the Koala Habitat Atlas mapping of all wild Koala habitat and to get the Koala Protection Act enacted to ensure Koalas and their habitat are protected.

Contact details:

[email protected]

Deborah Tabart OAM

0407 750 668