The AKF team and I are about to go on holiday and we are all looking forward to 2026 to continue our commitment to protecting wild Koalas and their habitat. Over the last few weeks, we have been talking and envisioning new and more urgent messaging to dispel the myths that imply that Koala numbers are OK and have increased as a result of new technology, like drones. We also note with great concern that there is also no commitment for the protection of habitat by those that think they have found new Koalas in some landscapes.
New so called and improved environmental laws were rushed through parliament, again with a fake impression that all will be well. It is not, habitat loss is still the key threat for the Koala and I see no current laws that can protect our beautiful forests. The AKF is still committed to a Koala Protection Act and will do all we can to prosecute that argument now and into the future. It annoys our Government I know that for a fact. In a meeting last Friday when one government tried to convince me that our assessment of Koalas numbers (Bob’s Map) were wrong, I could feel a bureaucratic pall hanging over the so called briefing, allowing very little time for dissent. It was hastily convened – one days’ notice. Months of inaction and then great urgency, always an indication that smoke and mirrors are in force.
As I write, the news of the Bondi Beach massacre has hit our airwaves and I am, like all Australians devasted.
It is early days, but I am hoping it is just the madness of two angry people instead of a rising trend in hate.
Australia has, also in recent days banned social media for children under 16, in an endeavour to curb some of the ghastly consequences of material our children can access.
Over the last month or so, I too, have been evaluating my own access to social media and question its role in our community. I was surprised by my own addiction to checking, checking, checking my phone and we all know we do it.
Our social media still talks of our love and your love of Koalas and they of course are a symbol of great innocence in the bush, like the many victims that have died in recent hours. But I also know that we have to be also aware of other modes of communication. I may be asking you all to buy some stamps! Imagine also picking up the phone and speaking with each other? Imagine? I know personally that I have gone through some sort of transformation to be different as I think more and more about how to communicate the plight of the Koala. I want to be braver, more courageous in what I think about many things, particularly the protection of our beautiful planet. The Koala has a great role to play there.
I cannot do any of that without you, our supporters and thank you for your comments to previous diaries. I read every one.
I believe we all have to be more real, to get off our phones, talk to each other more, listen more and to discuss things that are truly important; not some of the inane nonsense that consumes our community.
If we think that we can survive without a healthy environment, then we are kidding ourselves. Our children and grandchildren, many of whom only get their source of information from technology, are often persuaded that all is well, or worse still that it is not their problem. AI is scary…and I will not allow the use of AI in any of our communication, I promise you that as we go forward.
We all need to talk more to our families and identify our true values.
Our Founder Barry Scott always talks about values and over the coming year, AKF will re-energies those values and make a huge commitment to live them daily and speak for the Koala, one of the voiceless.
Thank you and see you next year
Fondest regards,Deborah
