Blue Green Grid

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The Blue Green Grid is a city-wide network of 'blue' links like creeks, wetlands and rain gardens, and 'green' links like parks, gardens and bushland that connect our town centres, schools, public transport hubs and residential areas. The Blue Green Grid supports accessibility, recreation, biodiversity and liveability. It helps protect and connect existing bushland areas and naturalises and improves our waterway health. 

As part of our Newcastle Environment Strategy, City of Newcastle is developing a Blue Green Grid Action Plan to map these areas and prioritise initiatives to build and connect our blue and green links over time.

Koala Drone Survey

During April and May 2025, we will be conducting thermal imagery drone surveys in bushland around Minmi, Fletcher and Wallsend to gather information about the potential local koala population. This work follows multiple koala sightings reported by community members in the area.

These surveys will help us better understand the local koala population and guide future studies and management options. The findings will also help the development of our Blue Green Grid Action Plan. 

Koala Drone Survey FAQs

Surveys will take place between 21-30 April and 19-30 May 2025, overnight from 9pm to 6am. These hours are optimal for thermal imaging and are when koalas are most active. Survey dates and times may vary depending on weather, accessibility and wildlife detection.
The surveys will target heavily vegetated bushland around Minmi, Fletcher and Wallsend, including Summer Hill Waste Management Centre, National Parks and Wildlife land.
The drone is about 1 metre across and has small red and green lights that help with visibility. At different times it may use a white spotlight pointed at trees to help identify animals that are detected on thermal video.

It will fly approximately 65 metres above the ground (20-30 metres above trees) and moves above vegetation. It will only stop in the same place for an extended period when multiple animals are detected.
No. Private residences are not included in the survey area. A 40-meter buffer is applied to homes to ensure your privacy.
The drone is audible from up to 500 meters and is fairly noticeable from about 250 meters. You are unlikely to hear anything if you are inside and further than 250 metres away.

Dogs have much better hearing. They may become aware of the drone and bark.  
 
The drone records thermal video, standard video and a zoom video when a spotlight is turned on. Only the location and details of fauna encountered, such as koalas, will be recorded - not private residences.

Examples of the drone footage to be captured are shown below:

Traditional survey methods can be challenging, particularly in heavily vegetated bushland where visibility is limited. Using drones equipped with thermal imagery cameras allows larger areas of land to be scanned efficiently, providing a clear picture of any animals present.  
 
City of Newcastle have engaged Nightvision Ecology to undertake this work. Nightvision Ecology are a licenced private operator who are experienced in undertaking ecological surveys using drones.
The NSW Government's I Spy Koala app enables you to record koala observations. The data then flows directly to BioNet, the corporate biodiversity data repository for NSW, where it is accessible for researchers, land managers, planners, consultants, government and the public. This data can help long-term planning and protection of koalas in NSW.

If you find an injured or distressed koala, or any other native animal, please contact the Hunter Wildlife Rescue - Injured and Distressed Native Animals 24-hour emergency hotline on 0418 628 483.

City of Newcastle does not investigate or collect native animals or wildlife.