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Protecting every home: Koala Habitat Restoration with NRMA Insurance

NRMA Insurance believes every home is worth protecting, and we couldn’t agree more. 

We’ve teamed up to protect koalas in Queensland and New South Wales by engaging communities in practical activities which restore their homes and food sources. 

Since our partnership began, we’ve seen the devastating bushfires that tore throughout the country during Black Summer, which have had a serious impact on both habitat and population loss for our nation’s iconic marsupial. Our work could never be more relevant.

Working with private landholders across Queensland and New South Wales, we’ve been providing expert guidance, seedlings, and rallying local communities to plant trees on private land which makes up the second biggest area for koala habitat in these states. Why the urgency? It can take between 3 – 10 years for a tree to be mature enough for a koala to feed from it, and with koalas living up to 12 years old there’s currently an entire generation in need of a greater food source and a safe place to sleep.

What can be done? You can join one of our koala habitat restoration events in the upcoming months, made possible by the support of NRMA Insurance. As well as planting trees for koalas (such as the Tallowwood), we’re aiming to recreate the whole ecosystem by also making homes for other displaced species such as birds, butterflies, possums and gliders. This means we also have floodplain and rainforest planting days too to cater to a wide range of species! 

We’ve been told by the landholders we work with, that others in their community and being inspired to revegetate their own properties – ideally resulting in a habitat corridor across rural communities. 

We also know that every tree is crucial to helping a koala feed and navigate their way across their home range. In fact, every tree is home to thousands of animals from insects to gliders and is vital to develop healthy biodiversity and connectivity between larger areas. So far, we’ve been successful in planting more than 100,000 trees for koalas on private properties across NSW and Queensland, and we can’t wait to see that double.  

Ready to join an upcoming Koala Habitat Restoration event? Search for ‘Creating Habitat with NRMA Insurance’ events on our ‘Volunteer Opportunities Portal’

What daily action can you take to help protect koalas? 

• Plant koala food trees on your own property 
• Restricting your pets access to wildlife 
• Drive safely, especially in areas with wildlife crossing signs 
• Make environmentally friendly choices 
• Choose housing that hasn’t destroyed pristine, biodiverse forests to develop high intensity housing estates 
• Call your local wildlife rescue service when you see koalas (and other wildlife) harmed or in harm’s way