New koala sighting adds impetus to campaign to stop Woronora Heights housing subdivision

The sighting of a koala at Engadine West on the weekend has given further impetus to a rally to fight Sydney Water plans for a housing subdivision on a wildlife corridor.

The koala was seen by numerous residents from the backyards of properties in Edgecliff Place and reported on the NSW Government's I Spy Koala app.

The location is in the same wildlife corridor as the Sydney Water site in Bundanoon Road, Woronora Heights.

Michelle Doyle, a resident who photographed the koala and reported the sighting, notified organisers of the Koala Wildlife Corridor Rally.

"Hopefully, this helps you with further evidence," she wrote.

The rally will take place on Friday October 21 at 3.30pm outside the Engadine Community Centre next to the town square.

Ms Doyle told the Leader, "The koala was spotted by our neighbour during the late afternoon on Saturday October 15 in a tree on the fire trail at the back of our properties.

"The koala was sitting in a tree and sunning itself. The neighbours from four adjoining properties witnessed it and my partner and I took photos, as well as our neighbours.

"This is not the first time we have had koalas in our street.

"During COVID lockdowns in May 2020, another koala was spotted in the front garden of one of our neighbours' properties, two houses down from us.

"Again, this property backs onto the bush like ours, so the koala would have come up through the bush to get to the front of the property. And again, families from multiple properties witnessed this koala.

"The recent koala is not visible now - we have all been looking."

Ms Doyle said other wildlife frequently spotted in the bush at the back and front of their properties included echidnas, snakes, possums, multiple bird species, wedge tailed eagles, goanna, lizards, and Pygmy possums.

"We really should be celebrating and protecting these areas instead of destroying them," she said.

"How lucky are we? This is why we chose to live here, after all."

There have also been other recent koala sightings in the area.

Resident Ross McLennan said, while collecting signatures for a petition opposing the Sydney Water plans in September, "two of the locals showed us some pictures and videos of koalas taken in the last few weeks".

"One person said that they took the video near Kelton Place, which is the last street of Engadine before entering Woronora Heights - the start of the wildlife corridor on the Engadine side," he said.

"The other was taken down at The Needles on the Woronora River."

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