Support NEFA's Work
The North East Forest Alliance is a volunteer organisation, none of us get paid. We have been working since 1989 to protect rainforest, oldgrowth forest, wilderness and threatened species in north-east NSW, Australia. Donations we receive go directly to cover costs, such as employing experts to undertake surveys for threatened species and legal challenges. Our goal is to stop the logging of public native forests. Recently we have been focusing on legal action to create change for the multitude of increasingly threatened species. It is clear the State and Commonwealth ALP Governments will not undertake needed reform unless forced to.
Use the DONATE button if you can help NEFA continue our work undertaking surveys, pursuing State and Federal governments through the courts, and achieving meaningful protection for threatened species.
FUTURE OF FORESTS AT THE CROSSROADS
The NSW Government has succumbed to pressure from the loggers to restart the stalled Independent Forestry Panel (see below), which they are doing in a token manner. The loggers are asking for their Wood Supply Agreements (WSAs), which are due to expire in 2028, to be extended indefinitely (or for at least 5 years). They want to lock in logging to forestall any attempts to protect more forests. They argue that conservationists are getting the Great Koala National Park so they want guarantees to be able to log the rest. The choice for the NSW Government is either to protect pubic native forests or lock in their logging - a decision is likely soon, by July-September 2026. So please take time to lobby the politicians (see below) and spread the message. Here is a poster you can print out in colour or black and white and spread around.
PROGRESS ON THE GREAT KOALA NATIONAL PARK
After a decade of promises and campaigning, on 7 September 2025 the State Government announced the were going to create the full 176,000 ha Great Koala National Park, and place a 12 month moratorium on logging it. On 8 September timber commitments in Wood Supply Agreements were reduced by 89,320 m3 for high quality logs and 39,422 m3 for low quality products, from north-east NSW for 12 months. They then established generous forestry industry worker and business support programs.
On 23 February 2026 the Government released their draft boundaries. They on track to honour their commitment by identifying a park of over 179,000ha. As they always intended, they have excluded most plantations, though have incorporated some small isolated plantations into the park, as well as some missing forests, such as Bollanolla. A problem is that they have excluded "buffers" of native vegetation around the plantations, though they state these will be permanently placed in non harvest zones to exclude logging. They have been buying out grazing leases, though what remains unknown is which areas will be made into State Conservation Areas, rather than National Parks, because of mining leases (hopefully very little). Recreation uses will also be reflected in final park categories, with some areas made into Regional Parks.
The Government is still saying "The final creation of the park is dependent on the successful registration of a carbon project", which is still being considered by the Commonwealth. Though, meanwhile the establishment process is progressing.
PROGRESS ON CLEARING WOODLANDS FOR ELECTRICITY
For the past 6 years, NEFA, and other groups, have been battling proposals by Verdant Earth to restart a closed coal power plant at Redbank (near Singleton) by burning 850,000 tonnes of wood per annum. This would emit 1.3 million tonnes of CO2 per annum at the plant, and much more in obtaining and processing the timber, yet they claim there are no CO2 emissions at the plant because it is "renewable" energy. Originally they wanted to obtain the timber from logging operations in native forests, though then swapped to getting most of their timber from landclearing near Cobar in central NSW. We were relieved when on 15 September 2025, the Independent Planning Commission announced they had refused Verdant Earth's latest proposal because it would require a major increase in landclearing. Though Verdant Earth are now appealing the decision. NEFA presented as an objector at the conciliation conference on 20 February 2026. The case will now be heard 20th-24th July in the Land and Environment Court, Sydney. NCC will be representing conservation interests (see NEFA Submission to the IPC on Redbank Power Station).PROTECTING NORTH EAST NSW FOR 30by30
In recognition of the world’s rapidly worsening biodiversity crisis, Commonwealth and State Governments have committed to the Global Biodiversity Framework target to protect 30% of Australia by 2030. In accordance with the National Roadmap for achieving 30by30 the governments have released maps showing priority areas for protection, identifying State Forests in north-east NSW as amongst the highest priorities in Australia for areas with exceptional biodiversity and ecosystem values and relatively low levels of protection. In addition to the Great Koala National Park, there are 580,000 ha of native State Forests in north-east NSW identified as priorities for protection, which would increase overall reservation of north-east NSW to 29.1%. Because it is public land, protecting State Forests in north-east NSW is an achievable outcome if there is the political will. It is up to the community to request their local politicians act. See Stopping logging of north-east NSW for 30by30.
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As the next step, NEFA have started a campaign for 56,200 hectares of public native forests in the southern Richmond River valley and on Richmond Range (south of the Bruxner Highway) to be created as the Richmond River Koala Parks. This is largest stronghold of koalas in the Richmond catchment, a genetically different population from that found in the Great Koala National Park (see below). Protecting these forests will also help over 130 other threatened species and improve the health of the Richmond River.
For a summary of the proposal see Richmond River Koala Parks
To join the campaign contact [email protected]
For further information visit the website
NOW IS YOUR CHANCE TO CONVINCE THE NSW GOVERNMENT TO
STOP LOGGING PUBLIC NATIVE FORESTS
The NSW Government has established an Independent Forestry Panel (IFP) to make recommendations on the future of forestry sometime this year. This is the only chance we will have in this term of the Minns Government to get a commitment to end logging of public native forests. Public submissions have now closed, with over 1,600 submissions, most calling for an end to public native forest logging. In 2024 the IFP submitted their summary of submissions and presentations to a government steering committee who were meant to consider this along with other inputs, before making recommendations to the Government. The process went into hiatus thereafter, though has now bee restarted in a simplified form at the behest of the loggers. The loggers are asking for their Wood Supply Agreements (WSAs), which are due to expire in 2028, to be extended indefinitely (or for at least 5 years). WSA's guarantee minimum annual volumes of timber from public forests to sawmillers. They pay nothing for WSAs, yet if the committed volumes are not supplied then we have to pay the sawmillers compensation (we have already paid out over $13M in compensation, and owe them more because Forestry Corporation have have not been able to supply commitments any year since WSA's were last extended in 2023). It is important that we take the opportunity to make representations to the Premier and key ministers, and it is also worth lobbying your local member. If your local member is from the ALP please ask to meet them.
So please take the time to add your voice to ours. A quick email will do.
See: Why logging of public native forests needs to stop.
Also see: NEFA Submission to the Independent Forestry Panel and Stopping logging of north-east NSW for 30by30
If you want to make your views known:
Contact Premier Chris Minns through his website: www.nsw.gov.au/nsw-government/premier-of-nsw/contact-premier
Environment Minister Penny Sharpe: [email protected]
Forestry Minister Tara Moriarty: [email protected]
Briefing Note: Save Koalas' Homes Briefing Note: Save Gliders' Homes
For detailed information of the travesty of Kola conservation in NSW see: NEFA's submission to NSW Koala Strategy
A victim of the 2019/20 wildfires, they are now logging the homes of the survivors
We have a hard fight ahead of us to stop logging of public native forests, though we now have hope that with your help we can get there.
Here are some resources you can use:
We have edited the fantastic, and sadly still relevant Endangered Species Roadshow film - On the Brink, with cameos from world-renowned scientists David Attenborough, David Suzuki and David Bellamy and voice overs by Jack Thompson and Olivia Newton-John. You can watch it here.
Award-winning filmmaker David Bradbury has made this moving film, Gondwana, Going, Going...Gone? Featuring clips and interviews from some of the recent forest actions from across our region. You can watch it here.
Politicians and industry often make extraordinary claims about the significance and impact of logging. We have prepared responses to Frequently Asked Questions you can read here.
