The Queensland government has allocated almost $40 million to protect native animals across the state, with most to be spent on koalas.
Treasurer Cameron Dick said almost $25 million would be dedicated to protecting and restoring the koala population in the south-east.
"We have never had a plan as extensive as our protection plan for koalas in the south-east of Queensland, where of course our state's largest koala population is," he said.
Koalas were declared "endangered" in Queensland, New South Wales and the ACT by the federal government earlier this year after population losses due to climate change, land clearing and disease.
Environment Minister Meaghan Scanlon said the funding would expand the state's koala habitat restoration program, help reduce the threat to koalas in hotspots, support the development of a koala sighting app for communities to collect population data, invest in ongoing scientific research and support on-ground conversation project.
However, the Australian Koala Foundation's Deborah Tabart said the new funding was a "band-aid solution" that did not address the real reason the koalas were endangered.
"If you don't stop the trees coming down, our koalas are doomed," she said.
Ms Tabart said south-east Queensland had lost almost 50,000 koalas over the last 25 years.
"The south-east Queensland koalas could have been saved if everyone had done this right 20 years ago, and that is not cut trees down," she said.
The Australian Koala Foundation is asking the state government to implement a Koala Protection Act, which would legislate for the protection of koala habitats.
Diseases threaten koala population
Around $2 million of the new funding will be divided between Currumbin Wildlife hospital, Australia Zoo wildlife hospital and RSPCA Queensland wildlife hospital.
Mr Dick said the Currumbin Wildlife hospital, which cared for more than 500 koalas yearly, had contributed significantly to helping fight diseases that were "becoming endemic in the koala population."
"We know how damaging chlamydia can be to koala populations and this wildlife hospital is doing the nation's leading work in establishing a viable vaccine for chlamydia," he said.
"If we can solve that problem, that could have a very significant benefit in restoring, protecting and increasing the koala population in Queensland."
Currumbin Wildlife Hospital Chief Veterinarian Dr Michael Pyne said the funding was a "step in the right direction."
"We are treating over 14,000 native wildlife cases a year … and releasing [them] back out into the wild," he said.
"So, this funding makes such a difference to us to be able to provide that service and look after our native wildlife."
Thousands of species 'threatened'
The Treasurer says Queensland has a special responsibility to protect native wildlife as more than 85 per cent of Australia's mammals, 72 per cent of native birds and more than 50 per cent of native reptiles and frogs live in the state.
"Queensland is very special because it is home to thousands of native animal species and other wildlife species," he said. "Unfortunately, there are currently 1,026 species (243 animals and 783 plants) listed as threatened under the Queensland Nature Conservation Act," Mr Dick said.
Approximately $14.7 million will be used towards the state's threatened species program, focusing on recovery strategies, policy initiatives and threatened species assessments.
The government said it will provide additional support to Indigenous Land and Sea Rangers, community groups, non-government organisations, land managers, and the research community.
