MEDIA RELEASE 7 September 2025

North East Forest Alliance and North Coast Environment Council welcome the Minns Government’s decision to place a moratorium on the full Great Koala National Park while they resolve the issue of obtaining carbon credits for creating it as a national park.

Finalisation of the Great Koala National Park will be a historic step forward in forest conservation, on par with Wran’s  historic 1982 Rainforest Decision that protected 120,000 ha of forests in north-east NSW and ultimately led to the protection of all rainforests, said NEFA spokesperson Dailan Pugh.

“NEFA thanks Environment Minister Penny Sharpe for maintaining this commitment at the last election, and undertaking a robust environmental assessment. We trust that she will now see this through to fruition.

“This park will protect 12,000 Koalas and enable their populations to recover as their feed trees regrow. This is the sort of action we need if we want to double their population in NSW.

“This park will also protect the homes of 108 other threatened species from further degradation, most notably for the nationally Endangered Southern Greater Glider, Spotted-tailed Quoll, Hastings River Mouse, and Rufous Scrub Bird.

“This park will be of long term environmental benefit as it encompasses one of the largest climate refugia in NSW where many of these species can best withstand the rapidly escalating climate chaos.

“It will be of long-term economic benefits to the region by providing a major boost to tourism, while also creating employment opportunities in repairing the logging damage, stopping erosion, removing lantana and rehabilitating dieback areas” Mr Pugh said.

Susie Russell from the North Coast Environment Council said:

“We commend the NSW Government for respecting the results of the scientific assessment, that demonstrated that all these forests are of high conservation value and need to be protected from ongoing degradation.

“It is a great relief to those who have worked long and hard for a decade now, that the logging will finally stop and the Great Koala National Park will soon be a reality.

“We look forward to the rollout of environmentally sympathetic visitor infrastructure and recreational opportunities. Our members are keen to work with the government to help plan a program of ecological restoration.

“The Great Koala National Park will bring more jobs, economic benefits and general well being to the mid north coast, than logging ever has. It will also play a vital role in protecting the water catchments that the people of Coffs Harbour and surrounds depend on” Ms Russel said.

Mr. Pugh continued:

“We regret that delays in finalising the decision enabled the Forestry Corporation to log and degrade important parts of the park, but are relieved that logging has finally stopped.

“There also remains a need to include some additional areas, such as the Bollanolla block, and a Koala corridor to link Bongil Bongil National Park with hinterland forests.

“There is still more to be done. We trust that the NSW Government will now restart its Forest Industry Action Plan process to determine the future of all NSW’s public native forests.

“As demonstrated by the Great Koala National Park, there is no doubt that ending logging of all public native forests is in the best interests of our wildlife and the community”, Mr. Pugh said.