TWEED Shire Council will pledge up to $120,000 for koala management and protection in the upcoming budget.

The Comprehensive Koala Plan of Management will follow on from the already completed Tweed Coast Koala Habitat Study.

Mayor Barry Longland said he would be pleased to see funding allocated as the plan would be critical to putting the longstanding issue to bed.

"Its completion will be invaluable in assessing development applications which impact on koala habitat, as it will be the primary document guiding planning staff when setting out conditions of approval which might be applicable," he said.

Cr Longland said developers had previously hired their own consultants to prepare koala management plans and a definitive document would eliminate disagreements with council staff findings.

The Tweed Coast Koala Advisory Group chair, councillor Dot Holdom, said knowing the truth about the Tweed's koala population would prevent us "looking back in 10 years time and saying 'oops'".

A draft of the plan will be completed within a few weeks and then considered by the koala advisory group and recommended to council before being put on public exhibition.

Council biodiversity officer Dr Mark Kingston said the funds would be used to employ a part-time officer and provide some "seed" money to assist with the implementation of its recommendations, in particular reducing threats and ensuring there was enough habitat available to recover the koala population.

"One of the key purposes of the project is to encourage the proper conservation and management of areas of natural vegetation that provide habitat for koalas," Dr Kingston said.