Members of the Bellingen community gathered last week at Lavenders Bridge River Park for a funeral to mourn a male koala found injured in a Pine Creek State Forest logging compartment.
The ceremony, organised by community members, including Gumbaynnggirr elders, combined a traditional grieving ritual with a public call to permanently halt logging in the compartment.
Attendees gathered for a ceremony opened by Aunty Alison Buchanan and officiated by Dr Reverend Jason John, followed by a procession across Lavenders bridge, and on to Slarkes Road, where Pine Creek State Forest is currently closed due to logging.
Forestry Manager Craig Busby confirmed that a koala was discovered during clearfell logging operations in compartment 32 earlier this week. Logging in the area was halted, and the koala was transported to Port Macquarie Koala Hospital and subsequently euthanised due to internal injuries and illness.
It has also been confirmed that logging has been halted since the incident.
Friends Of Pine Creek is seeking clarification from Forestry Corporation NSW on the conflicting accounts of the koala’s injuries and have requested copies of the vet report.
“The area where the koala was “found” by Forestry is within a large koala hub, that was left unprotected, and available for logging by the Minns Government. Nobody can say they are surprised that there has been a koala death here. Devastated, but not surprised,” said Katie Allwood.