Australians are still waiting for the latest official estimate of koala numbers through the National Koala Monitoring Program (NKMP), with the 2025 update delayed for more than seven months. The figures, which guide funding and planning for the endangered species, were finalised earlier this year but have yet to be published.

The NKMP began in late 2022 when the Australian Government's Saving Koalas Fund invested $10 million with the CSIRO to build and deliver a robust estimate of koala numbers and build a long-lasting capability to monitor and assess trends in koala populations. This would lead to ongoing recovery and management efforts.

The CSIRO developed a Koala Spotter app, to help build the most accurate national population count to date and asked the community for help to record sightings.

Populations of the iconic marsupial were officially listed as endangered across New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory and Queensland in February 2022.  

In August 2024, CSIRO Quantitative Biologist, Dr Andrew Hoskins, said a range of technologies and methods were needed to count koalas accurately. 

“Koalas can be difficult to spot from the ground, and as they are most active at night, they often rest high in trees during the day,” Dr Hoskins said.  

“To count the species, scientists have been using thermal drones to spot koalas from above, deploying acoustic recorders in the field and detection dogs, conducting scat analysis, while also carrying out systematic visual surveys and data integration from previous and historic sources."

The first NKMP data-driven estimate of the koala population was released in March 2023. The listed koala population range for Queensland, NSW and the ACT was between 117,000 and 244,440. However, the adjusted NKMP estimate in 2023 was between 86,000 and 176,000.

The CSIRO explanation is that estimates are derived from modelling of data with known gaps. Adjusting the model for where there is little or no data gives an anticipated listed koala population estimate between 86,000 and 176,000 koalas. This will be improved by collecting and ingesting additional data over time.

The second data-driven estimate was released in March 2024. The listed koala population range was between 95,000 and 238,000. There has been no adjusted estimate.

The CSIRO states that the increase in the koala population range is not an increase in the number of koalas but a refinement of the modelled estimate.

The third and final data-driven estimate was to include more NSW data, which included data from the NSW Government, to help improve the confidence of the estimates. It was also to include more regional data where sufficient data was available.

Those results were due to be released in March 2025, seven months ago.

The Lismore App first contacted the CSIRO to get an update on when the numbers would be updated on the 12th of May 2025.

The reply said that due to the large volume of data collected over the past year, particularly from the audio recorders, it has taken the CSIRO team longer than expected to process and incorporate the data into the updated model. Additionally, there was the Federal Election in May, which caused further delays because the government went into caretaker mode.

They then stated that the estimates were finalised and the update will be published shortly.

When no data was published by July 14, two months later, another approach was made to CSIRO.

The reply was that CSIRO was waiting on a 'go live' date from DCCEEW (Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water of Australia), the client of CSIRO who was funding the NKMP project. They suggested we get in touch with DCCEEW.

On August 20, a departmental spokesperson from DCCEEW said, "The Australian Government is partnering with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) to deliver the National Koala Monitoring Program (NKMP), as part of the $76 million Saving Koalas Fund. 

"NKMP updates are published by the CSIRO at nkmp.org.au as they are finalised. The CSIRO is currently finalising the population estimates data, and we anticipate the next update to the NKMP shortly."

There is that word again, 'shortly', as DCCEEW clearly pushed the non-publication issue back to the CSIRO team.

On September 22, the Lismore App made another enquiry to CSIRO this time. The reply said that they believed the koala estimates are with DCCEEW, and they are still waiting on the timing of an announcement, which they will lead.

An enquiry sent to DCCEEW on September 25 has remained unanswered.

Following the email trail, it would appear the DCCEEW is holding back on the release of the 2025 National Koala Monitoring Program numbers.

As we enter October, there are more questions than answers:

• If the count is complete and the data shared with DCCEEW, why have the latest koala population estimates not been published?
• Is the koala population estimate more than was previously published? Or less?

We will, hopefully, get the answers 'shortly'.