Koalas without chlamydia in south-western Sydney will be given their own protected national park if Labor wins the state election next year, Opposition Leader Luke Foley has pledged.
The Labor leader has promised 4,000 hectares of land along the Georges River for chlamydia-free koalas, of which there are around 400 in the area.
The disease, a different strain to the chlamydia affecting humans, is widespread among Australia's koala population and has devastating effects on the animals.
"We'll take all of this bushland and put it in the National Park Estate so there'll be no more housing development in the area," Mr Foley said.
"We have to protect the bush where the last healthy population of koalas in Sydney lives."
Labor has also promised to build infrastructure, including overpasses and fences, to protect the koalas from being hit by cars along major roads.
Earlier this year the State Government committed $45 million over three years on a strategy to stabilise koala populations across NSW.
But Labor called the strategy "wholly inadequate".
"They're currently protecting land that hasn't seen a koala on it in for over 20 years and pretending this is a great announcement," Opposition environment spokeswoman Penny Sharpe said.
"There is not a single dollar in their koala plan to protect habitat for south-west Sydney koalas.
"We have to protect their trees, it's the only way they're going to survive."
