MEDIA RELEASE 14 November 2022

The North East Forest Alliance is celebrating the withdrawal of the Government’s Private Native Forestry Bill at the eleventh hour, providing a reprieve for koalas and communities until after the next election.

We would particularly like to thank the Member for Tweed, Geoff Provest for threatening to cross the floor and vote against his own Government’s bill, NEFA spokesperson Dailan Pugh said.

“This is the second time that these same proposed legislative changes have been defeated by a member of the Government, last time it was Catherine Cusack crossing the floor to defeat the Local Land Services Amendment (Miscellaneous) Bill.

“The Environmental Planning and Assessment Amendment (Private Native Forestry) Bill 2022 intended to remove protection for core Koala habitat, allow logging almost everywhere over private lands, and take away community rights to have a say in where and how logging can occur in their Local Government Area.

“The Private Native Forestry Bill was not just an attack on koalas in an attempt to allow logging everywhere, it is also an attempt to remove community’s rights to be informed and have a say in what happens in their areas”

“While these changes have been defeated for the second time, unfortunately they will be resurrected after the election unless there is a change of Government or Premier Perrottet gives a cast-iron promise to bury it forever”, Mr. Pugh said.