Kyogle Council votes down land transition to Great Koala National Park

At its meeting on 8 December, Kyogle Council passed a motion formally opposing the transition of 176,000 hectares of State Forest into the NSW Government’s proposed Great Koala National Park (GKNP).

In a statement from Kyogle Environment Group, they said, ‘The motion cited concerns that the change in land tenure would negatively impact local timber mills and put regional jobs at risk’.

‘The motion was moved by Cr Tom Cooper and was preceded by a public address from Mia Cassidy of Hurfords Timber, who spoke in support of the motion.

‘Ms Cassidy argued that because timber supply chains are not shire-specific, any reduction in logging further south would have flow-on effects for mills in Kyogle. She also asserted that the GKNP proposal does not include additional funding or manpower, and that there is no scientific evidence to support the claim that stopping logging improves forest health.

Contradicts peer-reviewed research

‘This claim stands in direct contradiction to decades of peer-reviewed research by Professor David Lindenmayer, one of Australia’s most distinguished forest ecologists, whose work consistently demonstrates that forests subjected to lower levels of logging exhibit greater ecological health, higher biodiversity, and increased resilience to fire and climate stress.

‘Ms Cassidy further suggested that a change in tenure often leads to a “no-management” outcome once logging ceases, and that Forestry Corporation provides the best example of well-managed forests, with harvesters “doing an excellent job”.

‘In reality, the GKNP is supported by a clearly articulated funding and management framework. The park will be funded through revenue generated by carbon credit offsets (ACCUs) under Improved Native Forest Management (INFM), alongside high-risk weed control funding through NSW DPI. In addition, the NSW Government has committed $60 million to support the park’s establishment, including the employment of around 100 new staff to deliver enhanced fire management, feral animal and weed control, and ecological rehabilitation.

‘National Parks are actively managed landscapes, with fire regimes including planned burns, maintained fire trails, and coordinated response strategies—no different in principle from other land tenures, but with conservation outcomes as the primary objective.

‘During the meeting, Cr Sommerville asked Ms Cassidy whether Hurfords had explored any of the government transition programs available to support mills and workers. Ms Cassidy replied that Hurfords had not done so, stating that their timber allocations had not decreased and that the question was therefore “not relevant”. She added that, as far as other businesses were concerned, “that was not the business of Hurfords”.

‘Cr Janet Wilson then asked whether Ms Cassidy was aware of the compensation package available as part of the transition – whether people were signing up, how it was working, and what was on offer. Ms Cassidy advised that she was not across the details and would need to take the question on notice, saying outcomes were still unknown. This was despite the compensation package being publicly available online and described by industry and union representatives as fair and generous.

‘The GKNP is a direct response to the urgent need to conserve and restore habitat for NSW’s endangered koala population, alongside many other threatened species. It is also projected to deliver substantial economic benefits through nature-based tourism. Research indicates the park could generate up to 9,800 tourism-related jobs, with the NSW Government estimating an additional $163 million contribution to the state economy over the next two decades. These benefits would extend across a wide range of stakeholders, including local businesses and recreational groups such as bushwalkers, trail runners, mountain bikers, horse riders, 4WD clubs, and others.

Protects Aboriginal cultural values

‘The proposal also recognises and protects significant Aboriginal cultural values, with strong aspirations for employment, socio-economic opportunity, and cultural renewal. The protected area encompasses a diverse range of habitats and ecosystems of exceptional environmental value.

‘The GKNP has the potential to become the centrepiece of koala conservation in NSW, safeguarding large, connected tracts of high-quality habitat critical to the survival of this region’s genetically distinct koala population.

‘What went largely unmentioned in Council’s deliberations is the scale of logging occurring outside the public estate. The North Coast Private Native Forestry (PNF) estate – from Coffs Harbour to the Queensland border – now accounts for nearly half of all public State Forest hardwood logging across NSW, despite being far less visible and far less regulated. One current PNF operation near Georgica alone is expected to log private native forest worth multiple millions of dollars.

Forestry Corporation posts loss

‘At the same time, Forestry Corporation reported a $32 million loss from hardwood logging operations last year and a 44% collapse in yields under Wood Supply Agreements, according to its own 2024–25 Annual Report—released prior to the GKNP moratorium. These figures strongly suggest that timber supply from the public forest estate is already in structural decline.

Perhaps the steady stream of logging trucks entering Kyogle each day, carrying sizeable logs, reflects the growing reliance on Private Native Forestry to sustain local mills—rather than any meaningful dependence on the forests proposed for protection under the GKNP.

‘Despite Ms Cassidy confirming that Hurfords “have not been affected by the GKNP moratorium”, seven of Kyogle’s nine councillors voted not to support the park.

‘This decision comes at a time of accelerating climate and biodiversity breakdown, when intact forests are among our most effective tools for climate abatement and long-term species survival. The opportunity to move beyond business-as-usual thinking—and the nostalgic, sepia-toned image of the timber getter—was missed.

‘It was a decision out of step with the science, the economics, and the moment we are in’, said the Kyogle Environment Group.