SYDNEY, June 30 (People’s Daily Online) Koalas could be extinct in Australia's New South Wales (NSW) state before 2050 without urgent action, according a report by State Parliament.

The report from the legislative council of NSW Parliament investigating koala populations and habitat was released today.

The committee found that the official government estimate of 36,000 koalas contained in the NSW Koala Strategy is outdated and unreliable.

According to the report, at least 5,000 koalas were lost in the devastating 2019-2020 bushfires.

The ongoing destruction of koala habitat through the clearing of land for agriculture, development, mining and forestry has severely impacted most koala populations in the state over many decades.

In addition, many koala populations were suffering through drought conditions that had plagued NSW for years, exacerbated by climate change.

Committee Chairwoman Cate Faehrmann said: “it was deeply distressing but extremely important for committee members to agree to the finding that koalas will become extinct in NSW before 2050 without urgent government intervention.”

The committee listed 16 findings and 42 recommendations in the report.

“The only way our children's grandchildren will see a koala in the wild in NSW will be if the government acts upon the committee's recommendations”, Faehrmann added.