Koalas in NSW were listed as Endangered on 20 May this year as their number dwindle across the state. Yet yesterday (7 June) both NSW Labor and the Coalition chose not to support the NSW Upper House Bill to establish a Great Koala National Park on the mid-north coast.
‘Politics has once again won out over the future of koalas in NSW with the government and opposition voting against a Greens bill to establish a Great Koala National Park on the mid-north coast to protect koala habitat at threat from logging,’ said Cate Faehrmann Greens MP and koala spokesperson.
As Nature Conservation Council Deputy Chief Executive Jacqui Mumford has previously pointed out, ‘If you want to save koalas you have to protect their trees’.
‘It is not complex. But koala habitat continues to be destroyed because of weak government policy that prioritises land clearance for grazing, agriculture, urbanisation, timber harvesting and mining,’ she said.
A University of Newcastle report found the Great Koala National Park would generate $412 million in visitor expenditure and create 9,810 full-time-equivalent jobs.
Cusack crosses the floor over Koala Wars
Liberal MP Catherine Cusack, while speaking in support of the bill, revealed the deals done by the Liberal and National parties during the so-called Koala Wars last year.
‘This bill was a massive opportunity to begin making the gains in protecting koala habitat which are absolutely essential if we are to stop koalas becoming extinct before 2050. It’s incredibly disappointing that all government and opposition members, except Ms Cusack, voted against the bill,’ said Ms Faehrmann.
Labor could have passed the bill
‘Unfortunately, Labor voted with the government to stop the creation of the Great Koala National Park meaning the vote was lost 30 to 7. With Labor’s support tonight, this bill would have passed the Upper House.
‘As a result of Ms Cusack, once again, crossing the floor to vote in support of koalas we had an opportunity to get some of the best protection for koalas in place that this state has ever seen. But it wasn’t to be.
Catherine Cusack showed courage and integrity tonight and demonstrated that she will continue to use her position to do all she can to get better laws in place to protect koalas and their habitat. She has prioritised saving koalas from extinction over the self-interest of the Liberal Party and I commend her for that,’ said Ms Faehrmann.
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