This is a state-wide model of the potential of a given location to support koalas. Two versions of the model exist, a continuous model with habitat suitability values ranging from 0-1 (this product), and a classified version in which the continuous values have been grouped into classes representing very high quality habitat, through to very low quality and non-habitat. Note the original floating point raster has been converted to integer values between 0 to10,000. The Koala Habitat Suitability Model (KHSM) is one of the core products in the Koala Habitat Information Base (KHIB). It provides the current, best available state-wide prediction of potential koala habitat across NSW, encompassing the distribution of preferred trees and koala sightings. The KHIB is a public resource intended to assist government agencies, local councils and private land holders with koala conservation decisions. The Koala Habitat Suitability Models v1.1 are built off a predictive (MaxEnt) model, iteratively developed following a series of expert reviews. The KHSM was developed as a set of six regional models across eastern and central NSW that are referred to as Koala Modelling Regions (KMRs). These regional models capture variations in habitat quality at a regional scale that are driven largely by changes in the distribution of available food tree species. An additional MaxEnt model was developed to predict the westerly extent that koalas have the potential to occupy over the Darling Riverine Plains, Far West and Riverina KMRs. Each of the models provide an indication of where animals have the potential to reside rather than where they do reside. Thus the term “habitat” refers to areas that koalas have the potential to occupy, but may not actually live. The suitability scores from all seven models have been mosaicked together into a single state-wide product. This is available for download as a zipped 5m tif image readable in any spatial software package. An ArcGIS mxd is also supplied for suggested symbology. 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.

The Koala Habitat Suitability Models were developed across nine koala modelling regions. This was important because the environmental drivers that dictate habitat suitability vary across NSW. For example, koala’s prefer different tree species on the North Coast compared to the Southern Tablelands. By developing regional KHSMs that are independent of one another, users can consistently compare habitat suitability scores at any given location within a region. This dataset defines the region boundaries or study areas for the models. The regions were defined by an agglomerative hierarchical cluster analysis of the turnover patterns of koala food and shelter species, where aggregation units were represented by local government areas (LGAs) on the coast and tablelands, and Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation of Australia (IBRA) subregions in western NSW. The nine regions fall into two divisions and so eastern and western division values have been added to the attribute table. Tree species patterns are likely to best capture changes in habitat choice and food selection at a regional scale, where it is expected that the key drivers of habitat suitability are much the same within a region (where food choices are similar) but may differ between regions (different food choices). The Koala Habitat Information Base can help prioritise the establishment of new koala reserves and private land conservation agreements, ensure local actions are based on the best available information, and improve the management of threats and disease. It will be an important resource to assist government agencies, local councils and private land holders with koala conservation decisions. The Koala Habitat Information Base is not a regulatory instrument, meaning 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 map presents the distribution of the likelihood of koala occurrence across NSW based on publicly available data held in the Atlas of NSW Wildlife (www.bionet.nsw.gov.au). The proportion (’p’ column) of koalas (‘Koala’ column) recorded relative to a suite of arboreal mammals is presented in a 10 kilometre grid across NSW. A separate 5 kilometre grid is also available for Koala Management Area (KMA) 1 – North Coast. A measure of the confidence (‘Conf’ column) in the likelihood estimate is also presented. In KMA 1 Atlas of NSW Wildlife (Bionet) record data has been supplemented with data from koala spot assessment (SAT) survey along with “rapid SAT” method undertaken where major data deficiencies remained. SAT surveys observation efforts and resulting koala records were used in the same manner as arboreal mammal records. This map can be used to inform the likely occurrence of koalas and informing decisions on mitigation of activities such as native forestry. Distance Koala Likelihood Mapping 5 km - 5 km Grid Cell Koala Likelihood Mapping 10 km - 10 km Grid Cell

Koalas in the landscape (KITL1.0) enhances the prioritisation of landscape conservation actions for the Koala Strategy. It measures and forecasts the statewide status and trends in population persistence and habitat carrying capacity, considering future climate change based on NARCliM1.0 climate models. The risk of future clearing of koala habitat is not part of the model. The model projects how the current pattern of native vegetation is able to support koalas into future climate. Spatial data identifies candidate areas for the establishment and enhancement of habitats that are capable of supporting koalas into the future. The project also identifies where translocating koalas into currently unoccupied regions has a higher likelihood of success. For further detail refer to the [KITL1.0 project technical report] (https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/publications/koalas-landscape). KITL2.0 is currently under development. It also uses NARCliM1.0 climate models. Future versions of KITL will make use of updated climate and other input data, as it becomes available.

Koalas in the landscape (KITL1.0) enhances the prioritisation of landscape conservation actions for the Koala Strategy. It measures and forecasts the statewide status and trends in population persistence and habitat carrying capacity, considering future climate change based on NARCliM1.0 climate models. The risk of future clearing of koala habitat is not part of the model. The model projects how the current pattern of native vegetation is able to support koalas into future climate. Spatial data identifies candidate areas for the establishment and enhancement of habitats that are capable of supporting koalas into the future. The project also identifies where translocating koalas into currently unoccupied regions has a higher likelihood of success. For further detail refer to the KITL1.0 project technical report. KITL2.0 is currently under development. It also uses NARCliM1.0 climate models. Future versions of KITL will make use of updated climate and other input data, as it becomes available.

The Koala Likelihood Map (KLM) predicts the likelihood of finding a koala relative to other arboreal mammals across a 10-km grid covering NSW. It is built using existing arboreal mammal records from the past 20 years (currently 1999 to 2019) and represents the likelihood of koalas as the proportion of all records within a grid cell that are koalas. The records of other arboreal mammals provide a measure of survey effort independent of koalas and allow identification of areas where other arboreal mammals have been recorded, but not koalas. The map also includes a measure of the confidence in the koala likelihood estimate. This enables deficiencies in the data to be highlighted, and recommendations to be made for areas requiring further survey. The KLM is a useful tool that can be used to inform a range of koala conservation and management issues, however it is not static and should be updated regularly as new data become available. The KLM was first developed in 2014 for use in private native forestry regulation, on behalf of the NSW Environment Protection Authority. An updated and refined version of the map (NSW Koala Baseline Likelihood Map 2016) was produced in 2016 and has been used to inform provisions for koala protection under the Coastal Integrated Forestry Operations Approvals and is planned to inform the future review of the Private Native Forestry Code of Practice. This latest version of the KLM (v2.0 August 2019) includes new data from BioNet and Spot Assessment Technique (SAT) survey databases, as well as SAT data from a targeted state-wide field survey program. The KLM v2.0 (August 2019) is delivered under the NSW Koala Strategy's Koala Habitat Information Base. This 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 map of native tree cover and water bodies; and all koala sightings recorded in NSW Bionet. All Koala Habitat Information Base (KHIB) datasets are available for download below under 'Dataset Relationship'.

The spatial data maps koala populations and habitat for three study areas in the Midcoast LGA of New South Wales. The three study areas, Kundle, Khappinghat and Tea Gardens are geographically separate, and each are approximately 16, 000 hectares and square or rectangular in shape. The data maps both ‘Likely koala habitat’ and Occupied koala habitat’ on all lands except NPWS Estate and Forestry Corporation of NSW estate. ‘Likely koala habitat’ occurs where there is greater than 15% dominance of preferred koala food trees. ‘Occupied koala habitat’ is a spatial subset of ‘Likely koala habitat’ where koala populations are currently viable based upon known presence and their generational persistence over time. The maps were produced under the NSW Government's Koala Strategy in collaboration with Midcoast Council to inform Council’s 2024 MidCoast Koala Conservation Strategy.

This layer reflects the probability of finding a tree species that a koala is known to use for food or shelter. The statewide Koala Habitat Information Base (KHIB) 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. The Koala Tree Index v1.1 is one dataset under the KHIB. Tree indices were developed for each of the nine Koala Modelling Regions and mosaiced together into a statewide raster. Boosted Regression Tree (BRT) individual tree species distribution models were developed for important food and shelter species, with each KMR possessing a characteristic set of species whose combined distributions added to create index. The choice which species to include in each region was determined by a process of expert elicitation. The statewide product is available for download below as a zipped 5m tif image readable in any spatial software package. An ArcGIS mxd is also supplied for suggested symbology. 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.

The asset includes the observational data collected by the Koala Science team, drone surveys between April and July 2024 within the Mid North Coast Assessment Area and adjoining national park estate referred to as the Study Area. This includes the survey site locations, individual koala observations and a summary of survey site detections.