Historic Victory for Koalas as Great Koala National Park Legislation Passes NSW Parliament

Conservation groups across New South Wales are celebrating a historic milestone for nature, with legislation to establish the Great Koala National Park passing after more than a decade of campaigning.

The legislation will protect more than 178,000 hectares of former state forest and other public land from logging, creating a connected network of protected forests spanning more than 475,000 hectares on the New South Wales Mid North Coast.

The park will protect vital habitat for an estimated 12,000 koalas, 36,000 greater gliders and more than 100 threatened species.

It is also a historic reduction in native forest logging, cutting timber harvested from New South Wales's native forests by approximately 20%. Safeguards will also prevent logging being shifted elsewhere, meaning this is a permanent reduction and a significant step towards ending native forest logging across New South Wales.

In a major and unexpected development, the New South Wales Liberal Party voted in support of the park, with the legislation passing the lower house yesterday following minor amendments.

The passage of the legislation marks a significant victory for the thousands of community members, conservationists, scientists and Traditional Owners who have worked for more than a decade to make the park a reality.

Quotes Attributable to Clancy Barnard, Senior Forest Campaigner, Nature Conservation Council New South Wales:

"Today is a historic milestone for koalas, our forests and the thousands of people who have fought for more than a decade to make the Great Koala National Park a reality."

"We spent years fighting to secure the park in full, against enormous pressure to reduce it to less than half its proposed size. To have secured a park that's actually larger than originally promised is an extraordinary achievement."

"We congratulate the New South Wales Government for delivering on this commitment and investing in the long-term restoration and management of these magnificent forests."

"We also welcome the government's approach to public access, with new walking trails, campsites and opportunities for people to continue enjoying a range of recreational activities in appropriate areas, alongside strict protections for sensitive ecosystems."

There’s nothing quite like getting out into the bush, walking among giant trees, hearing the birds and seeing wildlife in its natural habitat. We want more people having those experiences, because the more time people spend enjoying our forests, the more they want to protect them."

Clancy Barnard, Senior Forest Campaigner, Nature Conservation Council New South Wales

"One of the biggest concerns people have about ending native forest logging is that they'll lose access to the forests they've enjoyed for generations. It's great to see the government recognizing this, with more opportunities for people to camp, walk, ride and explore these magnificent forests."

"Across New South Wales, there are another 1.76 million hectares of native state forest we need to protect from logging. We've never been closer to achieving that goal, giving our forests the chance to recover from decades of logging, alongside better management, greater investment in restoration and more opportunities for people to enjoy nature."

"Protecting koalas means both protecting the forests they live in and protecting the climate they depend on. That's why the government's recent decisions to expand coal mining are so disappointing. We need the same commitment to protecting our climate as we're seeing today for our forests."

Quotes Attributable to Dr Grahame Douglas, National Parks Association of New South Wales Coffs Coast Branch:

"More than a decade ago, the National Parks Association of New South Wales helped develop the vision for the Great Koala National Park. Today we're celebrating a remarkable achievement made possible by years of dedication from local communities and conservation groups."

"These forests will now be managed for conservation rather than commercial logging, giving koalas and other threatened wildlife the opportunity to recover."

"We particularly welcome the commitment to ensuring grazing leases do not return to these protected forests. Keeping these areas free from grazing pressure will give native vegetation and wildlife habitat the chance to regenerate."

"Creating the park is just the beginning. The next chapter is restoring these forests, supporting First Nations management and ensuring they remain protected for generations to come."

Quotes Attributable to Dr Stuart Blanch, Conservation Scientist, WWF-Australia:

"This is how you do conservation at the scale nature needs."

"The size of this park is remarkable. It stretches 150 kilometers long and 40 kilometers wide, across a vast landscape from the coast to the top of the Great Dividing Range."

"It brings together big ambition, strong science, community voices, First Nations engagement and a long-term commitment to restoring these forests."

"We hope the park will be a game-changer that stops koalas and greater gliders from sliding towards extinction."

"These forests have been industrially logged for decades and now begins the long-term work of restoring them."

"The Great Koala National Park has all the ingredients to become a global conservation icon and should be assessed for World Heritage listing for its natural and cultural values."

Quotes Attributable to Dailan Pugh, North East Forest Alliance:

"The Great Koala National Park includes the homes of over 100 species threatened with extinction, though more needs to be done to protect other populations of these species throughout their ranges."

"We need to protect all New South Wales’s public forests to give these species a future."

"The Great Koala National Park provides a model for protecting species, giving Aboriginal people a say through joint management and employment in Caring for Country, providing new recreational opportunities, restoring stream flows, rehabilitating degraded forests, increasing sequestration of CO₂, and providing a fair and just transition for affected timber workers."

Quotes Attributable to Koala Expert, Dr. Steve Phillips:

"Koalas are a species that require management at the landscape scale. The GKNP is hopefully the first of others that must follow to effectively safeguard koala populations for future generations."

"Establishment of the GKNP offers a precedent-setting, significant step forward in terms of ensuring effective long-term conservation and management of free-ranging koalas in New South Wales."

"Creation of the GKNP will stand in history as the most significant contribution to koala conservation in New South Wales since the species was first listed as vulnerable during the 1990s."

"The GKNP is hopefully the first piece of a long overdue landscape-scale koala jigsaw that is necessary to effectively conserve the species in New South Wales."