NSW Koala Habitat Suitability Model 5m v1.1

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.

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Organisation: NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water

Ensuring a sustainable NSW through climate change and energy action, water management, environment and heritage conservation and protection. Read more

Dataset relationship

Data and Resources

ECOLOGY-Habitat FAUNA-Native NSW Koala Strategy habitat model koala

Additional Info

Metadata template type Raster
Asset Type Dataset
Parent koala-habitat-information-base
Edition 1.1
Purpose 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 an regulatory instrument, meaning that 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
Update Frequency Unknown
OEH Service Native Plants and Animals
Keywords ECOLOGY-Habitat,FAUNA-Native
Field of Research (optional) Wildlife and Habitat Management
Geospatial Topic Environment
NSW Place Name NSW
Geospatial Coverage

Dataset extent
Temporal Coverage From 1979-01-01 - 2019-02-08
Datum GDA94 / NSW Lambert
Licence Creative Commons Attribution
Landing page https://www.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/opendata/dataset/koala-habitat-information-base-habitat-suitability-models-v1-0
Legal Disclaimer Read
Attribution NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water asserts the right to be attributed as author of the original material in the following manner: "© State Government of NSW and NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water 2019"