The worst fears of wildlife advocates have been confirmed after multiple koalas were killed on the Western Freeway in Gordon after the logging of a nearby blue gum plantation.
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Tree felling operations began on December 4, 2023, at the plantation which was home to a small but significant population of koalas.
At the time, wildlife advocates appealed to the state government to take precautions prior to logging, such as relocating the four koalas that were living in the forest.
But the Victorian Conservation Regulator denied requests on the grounds relocation would cause significant stress to the animals.
The plantation was one of the worst hot spots in the area for injured wildlife, as it bordered the Western Freeway and animals would often be hit by vehicles.
Because of this, advocates feared if the koalas survived tree felling operations, they would then attempt to flee across the Western Freeway to a neighbouring forest in search of habitat.
Ballarat Wildlife rescuer Jessica Robertson believes all four koalas living in the Gordon blue gum plantation have died since logging began.
Ms Robertson said rescuers attended to two dead koalas on the side of the highway in Gordon on January 5, and again on January 24, 2024.
She said they had also been alerted to two other koala deaths, one during and another just after logging operations, but were unable to locate either body.
"The government has failed in their duty of care to protect our koalas, the decision was a no-brainer [to relocate the koalas]," Ms Robertson said.
"Anyone could see the risk of that freeway, they were on the edge of a freeway, and they chose to leave them and let them disperse naturally."
In response to The Courier's questions, the Conservation Regulator declined to comment on the record, but noted there was no evidence to suggest the dead koalas were linked to the Gordon blue gum plantation.
Ms Robertson disputes this based on the evidence she and other rescuers have gathered while attending to the deceased animals.
"We can state they have come from the plantation based on the locations they were found," she said.
"It was Melbourne bound, it was right near the plantations, and it was three weeks post harvest."
Ms Robertson has been left feeling "frustrated, angry and powerless", and now fears koalas will become increasingly scarce in the area.
"Any rescuer or carer will tell you, especially in our region, [koalas] are endangered," she said.
"They are rarely seen anymore, and that's why we fought so hard for the four koalas.
"We did everything we could in our power to save those koalas and they died anyway, and the people that could have helped them, that had that power, did not help them."
