Logging continues to pose a threat to Koala Habitats in the State Forests

By ABHA HAVAL

The proposal for the Great Koala National Park (GKNP) on the NSW mid-north coast is likely to save the endangered koala population from being extinct, but the logging of state forests proposes greater risks of that happening.

The NSW Labor Party has committed $80 million towards establishing the Great Koala National Park between Coffs Harbour and Kempsey following the election win.

The proposed park will add 175,000 hectares of the state forest areas with existing national parks to create a natural reserve of more than 315,000 hectares that would protect two metapopulations of koalas in the Coffs Harbour region. An inquiry conducted by the NSW parliament in 2020 suggested that the koalas are facing extinction by 2050 if not intervened.

The Great Koala National Park as proposed by the National Parks Association of NSW aims to protect the metapopulation in a single network of reserve parks which estimates a total of 20% of koalas in NSW.

Koalas face extinction with the loss of habitat

With dwindling numbers in the koala population that recorded a drop in numbers by a third between 1990 and 2010, along with a 70 percent decrease in population during the bushfires of 2019 and 2020 that destroyed over 1.6 million hectares of prime koala habitat, the koalas are now officially an endangered species.

Dr Chloe Mason, a former employee at the NSW Environmental Protection Authority who recently visited Bellingen, a part of the proposed National Park, and met with local environmental groups said, “We feel compelled to support the local voices due to the imminent danger of endangered species living in the native forests from logging by the NSW Forestry Corporation.”

“The Pine Creek Forest (in Coffs Harbour) is an important part of the koala habitat and other species in the biodiversity with a lot of original species of trees.”

Studies indicate that existing natural park regions are improperly enclosed for koala habitats which require more fertile, coastal areas rather than elevated and infertile environments.

A petition was opened prior to the approval of the GKNP to ask the government to stop the logging immediately within the proposed site.

The petition states, “According to NSW chief scientist, koala populations have fallen by 30% in NSW and 50% in northern NSW over a 20-year period. Habitat loss and fragmentation through logging, land clearing, and bushfires are the primary cause of the koala’s decline. The only way to stop the decline is to stop the loss of koala habitat by protecting in perpetuity.”

“This last week, the status for logging was changed from ‘proposed’ to ‘planned’ in the region. The local people tell me that it is expected to be logged in six weeks,” Mason said.

The NSW government introduced new logging legislation in 2018, the ‘Integrated Forestry Operations Approval’ leading to reduced protection of forest wildlife. The legislation then introduced an ‘intensive harvesting zone’ which covers an area of over 140,000 hectares of coastal forests in which koalas thrive for habitat and is now a region for large-scale felling.

Grahame Douglas, CEO of National Parks Association of NSW said, “Currently, logging is allowed and is taking place in the state forests but we have asked to put a moratorium on the logging. The NSW Forestry Corporation seems to be targeting the koalas for some reason.

“There has been no progress since the proposal was approved. The Forestry needs to come over to the park services and see the forests.”

“The NSW government has not yet promised a moratorium,” he said.

The timber industry facing shortage is one of the reasons for logging of state forests

In an inquiry conducted by the NSW Legislative Council in September 2022, it was found that “there has been no increase in the additional hardwood and softwood timber plantations in the last decade.”

“The lack of expansion by the NSW Government concerning the timber plantations has significantly contributed to the current timber crisis which was further aggravated by the bushfires,” it said.

“The reduction in harvestable areas in the public native forests and failure to expand native hardwood plantations has resulted in the loss of wood supply leading to loss of jobs, livelihoods in communities dependent on the timber and forest industry.”

Study shows greater job opportunities in the State Forests

A recent study at the University of Newcastle by Professor Roberta Ryan suggests that as per research “the economic impact over the next 15 years will generate more than 9,800 jobs extra full-time equivalent jobs across tourism, infrastructure, and science and education, and inject $330 million in additional wages into the region.”

“The research found that the loss of jobs in the medium term in the state forest native logging industry would be more than compensated by the creation of new jobs in the management of the national park and eco-tourism,” Ryan said.

The estimate shows that the environmental benefits for the Great Koala National Park will create an added value to the biodiversity of approximately $530 million for the new NSW population and $1.7 billion in all of Australia.