Where are koalas & their habitat?
Koalas are found from the coast to the hinterland in the Byron Shire.
Find out more about where our koalas live and how you can help restore their habitat.
Coastal and hinterland koala habitat areas
Within the coastal belt there are significant koala habitat areas at:
- Brunswick Heads
- Myocum
- Suffolk Park
- Broken Head
- Tyagarah
- West Mullumbimby
- West Byron.
In the hinterland, significant koala habitat has been identified in:
- Bangalow
- Federal
- Goonengerry
- Wilsons Creek
- Huonbrook
- Montecollum.
View Koala Habitats on our web map under the Environment layer. See also the Vegetation Communities mapping layer for possible habitats.
Koala plants and tree species
Our plant communities that typically form koala habitat are:
- sclerophyll (Eucalyptus) forest
- coastal swamp forest
- coastal flood plain wetland.
Koalas favour different food trees depending on environmental conditions, such as drought.
The following are recognised as high use koala feed trees:
- Forest red gum
- Tallowwood
- Swamp mahogany
- Grey gum
Tallowwood Tree and Forest Red Gum Tree
Koala Habitat Protection SEPP
In the Byron Shire, 24 tree species are recognised in the North Coast in the State Environmental Planning Policy (SEPP) Koala Habitat Protection 2021
Spot a koala in the wild
Koalas are difficult to spot in the tree canopy.
You may hear a koala call or their presence is determined by faecal pellets (scats). These are smooth, oval shaped and 2-3 cm long and have a strong eucalyptus smell. Lumpy scats can possibly indicate ill health.
About the male koala’s call
Male koalas produce a very low pitched bellow. It is 20 times lower than would be expected from an animal of their size and is more typical of an elephant-sized animal.
How to identify a male or female koala
Male koalas have a dark brown scent gland on their chest, broader face and nose, and are slightly larger than females. If tagged, the left ear is used for males.
Females are most easily determined by the presence of a joey or juvenile. If tagged, the right ear is used for females.
Koalas can live for 10-12 years or longer in good conditions. Longer facial features and thinning ear hair may indicate an older koala.