NEFA's proposal to Protect North East Forest Parks covers all 573,568 ha of public native forests (excluding the Great Koala National Park) north from the Hunter River (at Newcastle) to the Queensland border, from the coast west to the New England Highway on the Tablelands. It will enhance and link together existing reserves to create a 2.2 million ha world class reserve system over one of the world’s centres of biodiversity. It is home to 241 threatened species, most records by far are for Koalas, with abundant Greater Gliders, Yellow-bellied Glider and South-eastern Glossy-black Cockatoos, along with the predatory Spotted-tailed Quoll, Powerful Owl, Sooty Owl and Masked Owl utilising decling tree hollows in the Great Escarpment forests. The coastal forests are searched for declining nectar by Critically Endangered Swift Parrots and Regent Honeyeaters, along with Grey-headed Flying-fox and Little Lorikeet. So many plants are endemics found in limited areas and nowhere else on earth.

SEE THIS SLIDESHOW OF WHY IT'S TIME TO STOP THE LOGGING

Back in 1998 the NSW agencies applied the national reserve criteria to identify most State Forests were needed to establish a Comprehensive, Adequate and Representative reserve system, including 57% of these State Forests. So the Government put a timber limit on what could be protected. Ever since they have stopped a reassessment, until now. The State and Federal Governments are doing a new regional assessment for when the exemption from the EPBC Act expires on 1 July 1997 - they have no intent to review the reserve system, but we do. At the same time the Governments are working out how to meet their commitments to protect 30% of the land by 2030 (30by30). NSW has only 10% protected, and the Federal Government has identified all forests in north-east NSW as being the highest priority in Australia for protection, so it should be an easy choice. But when it comes to logging it never is. 

We need your help to convince the NSW Government to do the right thing. Now that they can get carbon credits for protecting forests, they have a funded pathway, and no excuses. 

We want a commitment to protect the North East Forest Parks before the March NSW election.

The North East Forest Parks are comprised of 17 groups of forests, including the Richmond River Koala Parks. We are hoping people will adopt other areas for similar campaigns, and that we can work together to protect the lot. We don’t have long. For a start we need to collate good images of what we are trying to save, so let us know if you have some.