Why isn't the Great Koala National Park set in stone yet?

Last week, Archie Milligan from the National Account, reached out to the NSW Government to find out more about what is happening with the promised Great Koala National Park (GKNP) on the Mid North Coast.

He was told by a NSW Government spokesperson that the government has directed the Forestry Corporation to cease timber harvesting in 106 koala hubs in the assessment area of the Great Koala National Park. However, this isn’t a new information. In fact the announcement is from 2023, alongside the announcement of the process to establish the Great Koala National Park.

If you’re not familiar with the NSW Labor election promise of the park, the lack of confirmed boundaries and the continued logging of the assessment area, here’s a bit of background.

The promise of a koala park

The GKNP was an election promise from the current Labor Government, but it has been two years since they were elected and we still don’t know what the boundaries of the park are.

The idea was to essentially connect 140,000 hectares of existing national park with around 170,000 hectares of state forest — and then protect that area from logging in a bid to save the endangered koala species living in the area.

Here’s the video explainer:

The GKNP will be announced “soon”

During the Additional Budget Estimates 2024-2025 on March 3 NSW Environment Minister Penny Sharpe responded to NSW Greens MP Sue Higginson’s request for an announcement of the boundaries to say: “I’m not providing you with any more information other than soon.”

“The government’s still considering it, I’m not in a position to give you a time frame.”

A NSW Government spokesperson told the National Account: “The creation of a Great Koala National Park was one of our key election commitments and we will deliver it soon.”

What’s taking so long?

Minister Sharpe said during budget estimates there is still ongoing work to be completed before an announcement can be made.

Sharpe said there are various panels involved in deciding the best way for the GKNP to be created, including industry, environmental science and First Nations representatives.

“The park will have an impact on timber jobs and we need to work through that,” Sharpe said.

A NSW Government spokesperson echoed Sharpe’s comments stating while the government is committed to delivering the GKNP it is also committed to ensuring a sustainable timber industry “that aligns with the government’s key environmental priorities.”

The spokesperson said: “We have always been clear that we need a comprehensive assessment process which takes into account environmental, economic, social, ecological and cultural issues.”

When will the logging stop?

Thousands of hectares of land that could make up the Great Koala National Park (GKNP) continues to be logged, according to a recent report by Wilderness Australia and the National Parks Association of NSW, with further tree-felling expected over the next six months.

According to the government spokesperson, the assessment process is at an advanced stage but is ongoing.