By Michael Burt
The Great Koala National Park has cleared a major legislative hurdle, with the NSW Parliament passing legislation last week to establish one of the state’s largest new national parks.
The park will bring more than 178,000 hectares of public forest into the national park estate, creating a protected landscape of more than 475,000 hectares that is home to an estimated 12,000 koalas and more than 100 threatened species.
Greens NSW have flagged the decision as an “extraordinary achievement” but have joined other conservation groups in voicing concerns that the Park will be fragmented and the local Forest Bridge proposal was left out.
“We congratulate the locals and visitors who have given so much for so many years to save the koalas and all of the life in these forests,” said Bob Brown from the Bob Brown Foundation.
“While clawing any forest from the jaws of loggers is a win, many vital forests have been left out. The fight goes on to achieve a truly world-class park, not a patchwork collection of different reserves, allowing for car racing, logging and quad biking.”
Under the proposed legislation, the NSW Environment Minister will be able to approve motor racing events on existing roads within designated regional parks. Motorsports Australia says this provision represents an important step towards maintaining access for key events across the Australian Rally Championship.
Greens MP and environment spokesperson, Sue Higginson, said the Greens had secured 10 amendments during the Legislative Assembly debate, including the restricting of motor racing in five regional parks.
Other amendments included expanding Bongil Bongil National Park, creating a new nature reserve at Orara East State Forest, and preventing the leasing of retained native state forests.
“This is an extraordinary achievement and a historic victory for our precious native forests, our threatened species and the communities that have fought for more than a decade to see this park become a reality,” Ms Higginson said.
“There is also unfinished business with the Forest Bridge proposal that would protect critical habitat in Pine Creek and Tuckers Nob State Forests, strengthening the connection between Bongil Bongil National Park and the forests of the escarpment.
The legislation passed after more than 14 hours of debate in the Legislative Council, which considered approximately 160 amendments.
NSW Environment Minister Penny Sharpe hailed the GKNP as a win for the environment that would protect more than 100 species of flora and fauna.
“This is a defining moment for conservation in NSW,” Minister Sharpe said.
“After more than a decade of campaigning and years of detailed assessments, consultation and planning, we have cleared the final hurdles to delivering our biggest environmental commitment.”
Key to the establishment of the Park was the approval from the federal government to generate carbon credits for ending native forest logging in the park’s state forest areas. The federal Clean Energy Regulator announced last week it had registered the project, with more than 117,000 hectares designated for carbon protection.