Feedback around the NSW government's Great Koala National Park (GKNP) proposal has been published – what are the main themes?

The North East Forest Alliance (NEFA) have called into question the NSW government’s recently released koala baseline assessments having found the ‘government’s models of koala densities broad and inaccurate, with cleared paddocks near Kyogle claimed to have higher densities of koalas than the Great Koala National Park (GKNP), resulting in greatly inflated population estimates for NSW.’

Koalas in their largest Richmond catchment stronghold are genetically different from those in the Great Koala National Park. NEFA are calling for the establishment of Richmond River koala reserves.

Labor has promised to create the Great Koala National Park since 2015 and this promise combined with Labor’s election in NSW has led to business expectations and development based on that commitment

Conservation groups have published an open letter calling on NSW Premier Chris Minns to declare the full 176,000 hectares assessed as the Great Koala National Park.

Chris Degan, a 75 year old member of the Knitting Nannas, was arrested earlier today for trying to save koala habitat.

Rallies took place yesterday at Coffs Harbour and Sydney as multiple groups called for an end to logging in the areas identified for the Great Koala National Park and for NSW to establish the park as promised.

It was pouring rain, and dark, as my 14-year- old son Omar, Frankie our faithful Jack Russell, and I made our way four hours south to the traditional logging town of Taylors Arm, west of Macksville. Taylors Arm was made famous in Slim Dusty’s song, The Pub With No Beer. 

There will be no more koalas in the wild in NSW by 2050 if we don’t take action to preserve their habitat, according to a NSW state parliamentary inquiry in 2020, but the Nature Conservation Council say NSW Labor still isn’t doing enough.

The strategy for koala conservation is currently under review and the community is being asked for feedback on the best ways to help NSW’s endangered koalas.