By Michael Burt
Timber harvesting ceased this week across 176,000 hectares of the region’s State Forests that are now destined to become part of the Great Koala National Park (GKNP).
NSW Premier Chris Minns and Environment Minister Penny Sharpe announced the long-awaited proposed GKNP boundary, alongside a plan to compensate timber industry workers, mills and local communities.
Mr Minns said the large swathe of State Forest will be added to existing reserves and parks that stretch from Kempsey and north towards Grafton to create a 476,000ha National Park.
Making the announcement at the Bongil Bongil National Park Picnic Area on Father’s Day, Mr Minns said it would protect more than 12,000 koalas, 36,000 Greater Gliders and habitat for over 100 other threatened species.
“Koalas are at risk of extinction in the wild in NSW – that’s unthinkable. The Great Koala National Park is about turning that around,” he said.
“We’ve listened carefully and we’re making sure workers, businesses and communities are supported every step of the way.”
That listening has led to what Mr Minns calls a “comprehensive” support package for affected timber industry workers, who were slapped with an immediate temporary moratorium on timber harvesting on Monday within the proposed boundary. The state Government says this will have an impact on 6 out of more than 25 timber mills in the region and approximately 300 jobs.
Assistance includes JobKeeper-style payments to support workers, financial assistance towards business operating costs and $6m in community and small business supports.
An additional $60 million in funding is being announced for the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service to support the establishment of the park.
The final creation of the park is dependent on the government being able to win support for the legislation in the state parliament and the successful registration of a carbon project under the Federal Government’s Improved Native Forest Management Method.
Environmental and conservation groups are applauding the announcement, but timber industry groups and the local National Party Members are calling it a disaster for local communities.
“This is an incredible moment for Australia’s National Parks after more than a decade of determined advocacy for the future of koalas by local communities and conservationists,” said National Parks Association of NSW President Liz Jeremy.
“While celebrating the new park we must also acknowledge that it won’t be enough to guarantee the survival of koalas in NSW. The next step is to identify areas outside the park that will need to be managed in ways that allow for the movement and persistence of koalas.”
Ashley Love from the Bellingen Environment Centre (BEC) described the park as the greatest environmental reform in 25 years. Mr Love is regarded as a key architect of the GKNP concept.
“The conservation and expected ecotourism and economic gains from the Great Koala National Park will be enormous,” Mr Love said.
“We were always confident of the science behind our proposal and that seems to be a major factor in the decision-making process, and we are really pleased about that.”
“I do sympathise with timber workers who will be impacted, but we are confident the compensation packages will be generous and new jobs in ecotourism and rehabilitation will come.”
The Timber, Furnishing & Textiles Union (TFTU) disagrees, saying it will devastate regional communities, cost hundreds of jobs and risk thousands more across the state’s $3 billion hardwood timber industry.
“The Government’s own consultation process found timber workers in the region earn, on average, twice as much as those in tourism. No family can absorb a 50% pay cut in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis—and let’s be clear, there are no real alternative jobs waiting for these workers,” said TFTU NSW Secretary Alison Rudman said
“This is not about being pro or anti koala. We all want to see koalas thrive. What we’re against is the unnecessary destruction of an entire industry and the communities it supports.”
Member for Coffs Harbour, Gurmesh Singh said there was nothing great about Labor’s GKNP annoucment.
“The Minns Labor Government has short-changed North Coast communities again. They’ve trumpeted the Great Koala National Park but attached virtually no funding – just $6m to supposedly support impacted businesses and grow tourism. That’s a joke.”
“No koala zoo, no hospital – no new tourist drawcards.”