Stop Kings Hill Development in Port Stephens – Save Our Koalas!
Port Stephens Council is pushing to develop
a new suburb at Kings Hill,
on Koala breeding habitat,
to meet State housing quotas.
Other threatened species live here too.
Loss of habitat
and more breaks in critical koala corridors,
leave only tiny, isolated pockets of koalas,
leading to localised extinctions.
Kings Hill must not be further developed.
PLEASE SIGN THIS PETITION
AND HELP SAVE KINGS HILL KOALAS.
THE ISSUES
Fast-tracked assessment
Port Stephens Council wants a fast-tracked state assessment of thousands of new homes at Kings Hill — a site previously deemed unsuitable for development by the Hunter & Central Coast Regional Planning Panel and the Land & Environment Court.
Two other areas of Kings Hill, known as Precincts 6 and 7, are currently being assessed by Port Stephens Council. Precinct 7 and the already approved Monarchs Rise development, are both situated within a fauna corridor, and this potential habitat loss will further fragment the corridor.
Kings Hill ~ confirmed threatened species habitat & the strongest koala breeding hub in Port Stephens
A 2018 survey confirmed the area is home to an active koala breeding hub, and is also home to other threatened species like Phascogales, Grey-headed Flying Foxes, and Grey-crowned Babblers.
While a 2024 genetic study confirmed the koala active breeding hub is the strongest in Port Stephens.
Development is fragmenting the regional fauna corridor ~ Council needs to act
Kings Hill development is one part of the potential fragmentation of the fauna corridor. The mega Stone Ridge Quarry and Eagleton Quarry further disrupt the corridor when they start operation.
Click to see this disturbing map… the fauna corridor and barriers — It is vital that Council plans and acts to address the fauna corridor fragmentation
Umwelt in its biodiversity assessment for the Stone Ridge Quarry (approved August 2025), identified the habitat corridor shown here and KKEPS has highlighted the existing barriers to koala movement, relevant for many other fauna too.
The barriers are in red — they include development areas (exisiting and proposed) , open water, roads and waterways. The barriers clearly demonstrate the fragmentation within Umwelt’s identified corridor — further pinched by the Pacific Highway, Newline Rd and the Williams River. As yet Council has not identified a corridor publicly.
It is vital that Council does not support any more development and commences a program of increasing habitat connectivity, particularly where it helps increase connections between the currently isolated koala clusters.
Habitat fragmentation causes isolated populations
A shocking 2024 genetic report here shows Port Stephens koalas are on the brink of local extinction, split into isolated populations after decades of poor planning and piecemeal habitat clearance.
- Koalas at Kings Hill have split into two isolated clusters with no obvious apparent genetic flow between them.
- Koalas on Tilligerry and Tomaree peninsulas are even less likely to survive unless habitat is urgently reconnected.
Isolated populations without gene flow
between populations can lose genetic diversity, making them less resistant and adaptable to environmental change, and ultimately threaten their continued existnce.
Click to see… how the genetic analysis points to isolated populations, with Kings Hill the strongest hub while our coastal populations on the brink
A 2024 genetic report by OWAD Environment, funded by the Federal Government, revealed that the koalas at Kings Hill, and in Port Stephens in general, are in a critical state. The report found that koala populations have already split into multiple isolated clusters due to decades of poor planning and piecemeal habitat clearance. The red dashed outline indicates clusters in or near Kings Hill. The different colour circles represent the separate and isolated clusters in the wider Kings Hill area.
The red circles are koalas from the Inland 1 cluster (i.e. koalas mainly at Kings Hill).
The green circles are koalas from the Inland 2 cluster.
The blue circles are koalas located on Tilligerry and Tomaree peninsulas.
The yellow circles (only one circle is shown in the screenshot) are koalas in surrounding areas.
While the two inland clusters seem close to each other geographically, there are no obvious signs of genetic flow between these two clusters. On paper it is clear to see how the fragmented landscape, barriers and resulting isolation has impacted koalas genetically as well as spatially.
The genetic data shows that many of the koalas in the wider Kings Hill area are at an advanced extirpation stage; even without further clearing, current clusters will not survive without urgent interventions.
Reference OWAD Environment/ WildDNA/ Federation University Australia (2024) Port Stephens 2024 Koala Population Study Report, p. 22. Accessed via Research Gate here
More development will push these koalas closer to extinction
The time to act is now!
Kings Hill must be permanently off-limits for development.
Port Stephens Council must:
- Explore smarter, sustainable housing alternatives.
- Protect. manage, and restore habitat connections.
- Collaborate on koala and habitat recovery plans.
Click to see… what Port Stephens Council is currently considering and where that could lead:
- Two Development Application for the Kings Hill areas, Precincts 6 and 7 DAs, are presently with Council for assessment. The remainder of Kings Hill Urban Release Area (KHURA) is a State Significant Development – aside from Monarchs Rise which is proceeding.
- Councillor Arnott’s Notice of Motion linked here, was passed, 28 Oct 2025, and included
- If the new concept master plan for Kings Hill (KHURA) is rejected by the state planning department, the Council has agreed to look at alternative ways to meet the state imposed housing quota, and to look at options for protecting Kings Hill including whether the NSW Government could purchase the land for bio banking or some other environmental purpose.
- KKEPS suggests strategies to consider could include:
- funding through NSW Koala Strategy, Saving Koalas Fund – DCCEEW
- partnerships with NGOs and corporate sponsors such as Greater Bank, Greenfleet, WIRES Landcare Wildlife Relief and Recovery Grants Program and Wildlife Land Trust sanctuaries
- other community grants and volunteer programs for habitat restoration.
- Critically, to protect this habitat corridor, we need Council to
- refuse Kings Hill Precints 6 & 7
- actively support refusal for any further development approvals at Kings Hill — Noting that the remaining KHURA developments are State Significant, so outside Council’s direct approval, though Council can make recommendations.
Should these developments proceed, the longer term viability of this actively breeding koala hub, the strongest in Port Stephens, will most likely be diminished to local extinction.
STOP PRESS!!
Our feasible and achievable action plan needs your support
KKEPS has written to our Mayor and Councillors documenting a feasible and achievable action plan to recovery for the Port Stephens koalas.
Central to recovering Port Stephens koalas is protecting the Kings Hill actively breeding koala hub, reconnecting the habitat corridor and linking the corridor back to the depauperate peninsula koalas. Please see KKEPS Letter and KKEPS Recommended Actions to Council.
PLEASE WRITE or phone our Mayor and Councillors today asking them to support KKEPS Recommended Actions.
We need integrated planning and habitat protection — not more fragmentation.
All government levels have driven koalas toward extinction. We must hold them accountable and demand change.
We need community to speak out to Council (and State Members) to stop these developments and protect the habitat corridor.
What you can do
- Contact decision-makers: ministers, local members, mayor and councillors to demand responsible planning and urgent action to save Port Stephens’ koalas, and to implement these KKEPS Recommended Actions (use this link). Use the information outlined above in your email or phone call.
- Print and display this poster
- Email and handout this information flyer
- Offer to help the Koala Koalition in this campaign – brainstorm ideas, put up posters, share the petition and more >> Email Erica and Caitlin at info@econetworkps.org to find out how you can help.
- Understand more about the issues, 4 page pdf which shows
- the habitat corridor, a range of barriers and constraints happening in the broader area
- summarises the genetic studies demonstrating the isolated populations (or see the summary on this web page [click] or the full genetic study here).
Please print and display this poster
