- The proposed boundary for the Great Koala National Park
- An immediate temporary moratorium on timber harvesting within this proposed boundary
- A comprehensive worker and industry support package
- $6m in community and small business supports for the mid-north coast region
- An additional $60 million to establish the park.
The 'temporary moratorium on timber harvesting' in the 176,000 hectares of designated state forests remains in place while key elements of this transition are finalised. The moratorium took effect from Monday 8 September and will be in place for up to 12 months, while the details of transitioning state forests to national parks are investigated and negotiated.
Under the Government's 'Creating the Great Koala National Park – information and updates' webpage it is stated:
''The final creation of the park is dependent on the successful registration of a carbon project under the Improved Native Forest Management (INFM) Method, which is currently moving through the Federal Government assessment processes.''
Residents are circumspect after experiencing announcement after announcement under the previous coalition government about investing millions of dollars (over 4 years or more) in koala conservation, and to establish parks in south-west Sydney at some future point, that have only begun to be established under the current NSW Government, but overall the news has been welcomed.
The Government stated the announcement followed extensive consultation with industry and community stakeholders and a comprehensive expert assessment process.
The Government thanked everyone involved for their input and patience during this process.
The Great Koala National Park will not end forestry on the North Coast. The Independent Forestry Panel is continuing to provide advice to the Government to inform the Forestry Industry Action Plan.
The NSW Government states it is working directly with businesses and workers that are affected by the moratorium on harvesting. Impacted businesses will receive financial assistance to ensure they can continue to pay their workers and to assist them to access other supports during an initial ten-week transition period. The purpose of the initial payments is to ensure that workers continue to receive their salaries while the NSW Government works with impacted businesses to fairly determine longer term adjustment support and compensation payments for them and their workers.
The number of workers who will be impacted will be finalised over the next 12 months. It is estimated that the reduction in timber supply will result in impacts on up to 300 jobs in the industry covering, harvest, haulage, milling and in Forestry Corporation NSW.
The Government stated more than 100 new staff will be required at NPWS to deliver fire management, feral animal and weed control, ecological rehabilitation and visitor management. The Government said impacted Forestry Corporation workers will be prioritised for new roles created within NPWS.
The additional $60 million in funding announced is for the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service to support the establishment of the park. This is in addition to the $80 million announced in 2023.
The NSW Government will also develop a $6 million Community Grants package. The package will support initiatives that grow the region’s domestic and international tourism opportunities and support local businesses to develop and expand, with a focus on manufacturing.
The new park is expected to create a tourism boom.
''Without action, koalas are on track to be extinct in the wild in NSW by 2050. At the last election, we promised to take action to establish the Great Koala National Park — and today we are delivering on that commitment.'' The Minns Government stated
''This park will protect more than 12,000 koalas, 36,000 Greater Gliders and habitat for over 100 other threatened species.''
The park will reserve 176,000 hectares of state forest and connect with existing national parks to create a 476,000-hectare reserve – one of the largest in NSW.
Although the building industry continues to require timber for construction, the shift away from native forests towards plantations has been occurring for some years. Kiln dried treated pine that's resistant to Australian conditions, which is resistant to termites, has simply become a more affordable and better product then the dwindling sources of blackbutt, spotted gum species, many of which have been so intensively 'harvested' they can no longer be sourced for builders, and the small supply that can is prohibitively expensive as a result.
Another customer for timber workers, Essential Energy began replacing 11,200 timber poles a year with composite poles made of fibreglass and resin, a few years back. In October 2023 they announced:
''Essential Energy is transitioning to an increased use of composite poles due to evolving business needs. Key benefits of composite poles include supply certainty, manufacturing consistency, fire resilience, immunity to rot, decay, termites and corrosion, light weight, and non-conductive nature.''
The distributor covers 95 per cent of the NSW electricity network. By 2030, it will have replaced all traditional hardwood-based utility poles with highly durable composites able to withstand high wind loads and impacts.
So the transition for timber workers into the opposite domain, conservation, national parks and tourism, is also a transition that can run parallel to these changes, also is some ways marks a maturation in human thinking and action.
There is still resistance to change a habit that has persisted in Australian since colonialism, and inferences it may not happen if it is dependent on the 'Improved Native Forest Management (INFM) Method'.
The NSW Liberal Party twice abstained from voting in support of the Great Koala National Park this past week in the NSW Parliament. Despite strong rhetoric on the conservation of koalas and other endangered species, they abandoned their conservation stance, exposing deep divisions with their Coalition partners.
In two separate public interest debates on the Government’s landmark park announcement, the Liberals left the chamber, refusing to vote on the issues they had led the public to believe they supported. Their silence stood in stark contrast to the National Party, which took the opportunity to openly attack the park and the habitat it will protect.
Independent Member for Pittwater, Jacqui Scruby MP, said the Liberals’ refusal to back the park shows a failure of leadership.
“As an independent, I vote to represent my community every time. In contrast, the Liberals prioritised party politics over representing their constituents on a matter they had led them to believe they cared about,” Ms Scruby said. “This is why people are rejecting the major parties.”
“You can’t build your reputation on protecting koalas as Environment Minister and Shadow Minister for Environment, yet when it comes to voting, you walk away. As a member of parliament, not voting is weak at the best of times - on this issue, it lets down the people who voted for you because you told them you stood for conservation. Silence speaks volumes.”
The split within the Coalition was laid bare, with Nationals MLC Wes Fang calling the Liberal walkout “gutless”.
NSW Liberal Shadow Minister for the Environment, James Griffin MP, Member for Manly, stated,
“There is a total absence of legislation and funding details and a government apparently hedging its bets, and the hopes of conservation groups, on approval from the Federal Government,”
“That means the very shape of the legislation, and even whether it proceeds at all, will be determined not in NSW, but in Canberra.” Mr Griffin said.
'Until the Minns Labor Government provides the necessary details and introduces clear legislation to back up this announcement, the NSW Liberals will continue to hold Premier Chris Minns to account', the NSW Liberals stated.
One of Pittwater's last koalas. The release of an 8 years old female back into Angophora Reserve after she had been bombarded by magpies. Taronga Zoo picked her up and nursed her back to health before the release on November 5th, 1989. Doug Bladen and Marita Macrae are in the background representing the Avalon Preservation Trust (now APA). Photo by Geoff Searl OAM
Ms Scruby said Pittwater voters expect more.
“We lost our koalas in Pittwater, yet koala signs remain, reminding us that we can’t let what happened in Pittwater happen in NSW. Pittwater knows where we stand. We want evidence-based policy, and with koalas set to be extinct by 2050 in NSW, people support action to ensure koalas remain in the wild for our kids and grandkids to see. Our community is proud to back the Great Koala National Park.”
Ms Scruby said the refusal to back the park is a test of political courage that the Liberals failed.
She also noted the economic opportunities of the GKNP for NSW and acknowledged that she would be working to hold the Government to account on delivering the Park and supporting the transition package for 300 impacted workers.
In the lower house, MP for Sydney, Alex Greenwich stated:
''The Great Koala National Park was initially conceived by Ashley Love, a retired national parks employee who worked in park planning and used his retirement to create a plan to protect the Mid North Coast koala. Four local environment groups—the Bellingen Environment Centre, the Nambucca Valley Conservation Association, the Clarence Environment Centre and the North Coast Environment Centre—worked with the National Parks Association of NSW to engage ecologist David Scotts to map koala populations between the Macleay and Richmond rivers. The results provided the blueprint for the park and were consistent with government koala mapping.
Other groups that fought for the park include the National Parks Association Coffs Coast Branch, members of the Gumbaynggirr Nation, the Nature Conservation Council of NSW, the North East Forest Alliance, the World Wildlife Fund, the Bob Brown Foundation and the Australian Climate and Biodiversity Foundation. Locals and individuals from across the State joined the grassroots campaign, signing petitions and protesting in the forests.
Earlier in the year, I joined my Independent colleagues the member for Pittwater and the member for Wakehurst in visiting the region where we met directly with local stakeholders and affected businesses. They know that the region will thrive with the national park, where people from across the State, the country and the world will want to visit for world-class bushwalking and wildlife watching. My constituents and people from across New South Wales are excited for the park and are ready to visit. Forestry workers will have transferrable skills in national parks creation and maintenance.''
During the NSW Parliament upper house session just before 6pm on Wednesday September 10 National and Liberal members were objecting to a resolution to celebrate the announcement. The coalition government, that 2018 had approved a further 25 years of killing trees, habitat and wildlife under the Coastal Integrated Forestry Operations Approvals (IFOA) even before it asked NSW residents for their feedback, then went on to change planning laws that accelerated tree clearing on private land, followed by approving itself as the sole decider in getting rid of what's left of the critically endangered Cumberland Plain woodlands, and koalas there, indicated it wanted to stick to colonialism practices.
During this session the Hon Penny Sharpe, NSW Minister for the Environment, stated:
''For members who have not been paying attention, we are in a biodiversity crisis. More animals are being threatened with extinction than ever before. Over 50 per cent of threatened mammals already live within the boundaries of the Great Koala National Park.
We had to make hard decisions and work through these matters. I thank those who have been campaigning for this for a long time. I thank the members of Parliament who we will need to work with in order to legislate for this. I call on all members to reflect on it. In particular, I call on members of the Liberal Party to think about their legacy. That legacy includes people like Tom Lewis, who created the National Parks and Wildlife Service; Tim Moore, who was a very good Minister for the Environment; and all of the others who continue to do this work.''
“We have taken koalas, an extraordinary and highly specialised species, to the brink of extinction in the relatively short time since European settlement. This dedicated park will be the most significant step to preserve the species that has occurred in NSW.” Greg Piper MP, Speaker, and member for Lake Macquarie said this week.
“We’ve been relentless in Parliament, in the media and on the ground with communities. One of the most powerful moments was in May, when we brought local businesses into the Premier’s office to share how this park could boost the local economy. It was a deeply moving conversation, and we could see the Premier was genuinely swayed. Today’s announcement shows the real influence independents can have – and how well this government can work with us when we bring our communities’ voices to the table,” Jacqui Scruby, Member for Pittwater stated last Sunday.
“Today’s a great day for koalas, and the transition package shows we can support workers while leaving destructive industries. The Great Koala National Park gives us the best chance to save koalas, greater gliders, and other threatened species now under more pressure than ever. This is the climate and biodiversity leadership NSW needs, and I’m proud independents secured it. My constituents look forward to visiting the park, boosting local economies, and knowing workers are supported through this transition.” said Alex Greenwich, Member for Sydney.
"This announcement is incredibly welcome. The Great Koala National Park will protect a vital part of our natural heritage, securing the long-term future of our koala populations, creating jobs, and boosting sustainable tourism in NSW. I'm proud we have worked constructively with the Government and locals to help make this wonderful vision a reality," Michael Regan, Member for Wakehurst, said.
The Independents are now pushing the Government to swiftly and fully implement the park including immediate protection of high-value koala habitat, developing a just transition plan for timber workers and their communities, investing in tourism infrastructure and ecological restoration, and establishing complementary conservation corridors and privately protected areas to create a connected landscape for biodiversity.
Premier of NSW, Chris Minns said last Sunday:
“Koalas are at risk of extinction in the wild in NSW – that’s unthinkable. The Great Koala National Park is about turning that around.
“We’ve listened carefully and we’re making sure workers, businesses and communities are supported every step of the way.”
Minister for the Environment, Penny Sharpe said:
“The Great Koala National Park has been a dream for more than a decade. It will ensure koalas survive into the future so our grandchildren will still be able to see them in the wild.
“These amazing old-growth forests are among the world’s top biodiversity hotspots – home to more than 100 threatened species including greater gliders, the powerful owl and yellow-bellied gliders.”
Minister for Agriculture, Tara Moriarty said:
“Our government’s priority is to fully support impacted workers with payments and services during this major change.
“That is why we will provide financial assistance to businesses we know will be impacted, so they can continue to pay their staff’s salaries and cover costs.
“We are committed to a sustainable forestry industry in NSW.”
Minister for the North Coast and Minister for Small Business, Janelle Saffin said:
“We are delivering on our election promise to deliver the Great Koala National Park for the North Coast.
“This will deliver the protection of our most precious and loved species, our koalas, that everyone in NSW wants to see protected; and the Greater Koala National Park will also provide an economic boon for locals and businesses alike.
“It is important to work together to ensure no one is left behind. We will be supporting impacted workers, businesses, communities and industry to maximise opportunities as we deliver the Great Koala National Park.
“I am committed to ensure that our forest workers and small business forest operators are supported economically and emotionally through this change.”
