Conservationists dispute union claims that Koala Park will cost 9000 jobs Coffs Coast Nambucca Valley by News Of The Area - Modern Media - February 20, 2025 Estimates of the number of workers involved in North Coast Forestry differ greatly. Photo: Mark Graham. THE Australian Workers Union (AWU) claims more than 9000 jobs will go in the hardwood industry if the Great Koala National Park (GKNP) is “imposed” on North Coast communities. Forestry workers met MPs at State Parliament last week to plead with them not to create the park, following research showing healthy koala numbers. Advertise with News of The Area today. It’s worth it for your business. Message us. Phone us – (02) 4981 8882. Email us – media@newsofthearea.com.au CSIRO data from 2024 shows koala numbers are up to 524,000, more than the 331,000 estimated in 2016. AWU NSW Secretary Tony Callinan said, “9000 North Coast locals have jobs in the timber supply chain, with their pay cheques going directly into their small communities, so it’s imperative we get the balance right or we’ll endanger this $3 billion industry. “The key here is balancing the need to protect native species while providing future generations with the raw materials for housing and infrastructure. “The worst possible scenario would be to get timber from parts of the world with no environmental standards, or to use more ‘Climate Change intensive’ products for our power poles, wharves and flooring.” The North East Forest Alliance (NEFA) is accusing the AWU of unfounded scaremongering. Spokesperson Dailan Pugh said it appears to be relying upon unverified industry data, which applies to the whole of NSW, with most of the timber coming from private lands and plantations. “A review by NEFA identifies that direct job losses from the creation of the Great Koala National Park could be in the order of 118 to 218 jobs within the North East NSW region from Gosford to the Queensland Border, with a similar number of indirect jobs.” “A 2019 assessment for the timber industry identified 566 jobs in logging native State Forests in North East NSW [while] a 2021 assessment by the Natural Resources Commission put it at 590 jobs. “The Great Koala National Park represents 21 percent of the area of State Forests in north east NSW able to be logged, so is only a small portion of total logging jobs in the region.” The Bellingen Environment Centre (BEC) has also weighed in, sending a letter to NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey, describing the AWU demands as “lacking any basis in law”. BEC President Cath Eaglesham said, “Treasurer Mookhey cannot tell the NSW public that there is no money in the NSW Treasury to properly pay psychiatrists working in public health or essential transport workers, and then make million-dollar payouts to the logging industry without a shred of legal justification.” Mr Pugh added that the creation of the GKNP will “create new employment opportunities in park management, rehabilitation and tourism”. He said the University of Newcastle estimates that tourism alone will generate 9810 new jobs over fifteen years. By Andrew VIVIAN
“We have political leaders who insist that mining and forestry underwrite Australian prosperity. I will state it plainly. Those who believe this nonsense cannot be trusted with the wellbeing of future generations.” Ken Henry Reply
