NSW Koala Habitat Information Base

The statewide Koala Habitat Information Base has been developed as part of the NSW Koala Strategy. It delivers the best available state-wide spatial data on koala habitat, likelihood, koala preferred trees and koala sightings for NSW.

It will be an important resource to assist government agencies, local councils and private land holders with koala conservation decisions.

It will help to prioritise the establishment of new koala reserves and private land conservation agreements to protect koala habitat, ensure local actions are based on the best available information, and improve the management of threats and disease.

The Koala Habitat Information Base is not a regulatory instrument, meaning that the data layers do not categorise land for regulatory purposes. It does provide the best available scientific information to support decision makers, rehabilitators, land managers and community members involved in koala conservation.

The Koala Habitat Information Base comprises several layers of spatial information, including:

• Koala Habitat Suitability Model (KHSM) – the probability of finding koala habitat at any location

• Koala Tree Suitability Index (KTSI) – the probability of finding a tree species that koalas are known to use for food or shelter

• Koala Likelihood Map (KLM) including a confidence layer – predicts the likelihood of finding a koala at a location

• Areas of Regional Koala Significance (ARKS) – identifies key koala populations and management areas with potential for long-term viability as well as priority threats to key koala populations.

• Native vegetation of NSW – this is a high-resolution model of native tree cover and water bodies

• All koala sightings recorded in NSW Bionet

All Koala Habitat Information Base datasets are available for download at the links below under 'Dataset relationship'.

For further information on the data layers and their development, please see the Koala Habitat Information Base Technical Guide. Also available for download from Data and resources below.