DEAR News Of The Area,

I WOULD like to respond to the article in NOTA on 21/2/25 titled “Conservationists dispute job loss claims”.

The article related to the number of people currently employed in the local timber industry and its supply chain and the effects that the creation of the Great Koala National Park (GKNP) might have on the livelihood of these people.

The estimates vary wildly.

Regardless of who is correct, the forgotten issue is how best to help replace jobs from a potentially diminishing industry.

The poor state that places are allowed to be left by Forest Corp NSW continuously degrades the assets of our forests.

And it does so at the expense of taxpayers ($29m est. 2024).

Is it not in the interests of the timber Industry itself to take better care of the assets on which they depend?

It wasn’t always like this.

In the past more care was taken.

Forests had a chance to properly recover and wildlife had a chance to adapt and move when intervals were longer, and methods were less industrialised. It cannot continue this way.

Permanent damage is being done to the biodiversity of our natural heritage and future bush fire risk.

It is simply stealing from the future, and it can’t be justified.

I voted for the current NSW government because they made a pre-election promise to support the creation of GKNP.

The other promise was to stop the multi-story residential development proposed for the Jetty Foreshore.

I feel betrayed on both fronts.

The area that has been expected to become the GKNP will continue to need professional restoration efforts for many years to come if it is to ever recover its habitat and aesthetic values on which future eco-tourism depends. There are potentially many ongoing jobs for local people in doing this restoration work.

I am a local business owner employing 15 local people in this currently fledgling industry.

The small number of people currently working in the restoration sector, is barely able to scratch the surface of what actually needs doing to restore local and regional eco systems statewide, especially in the wake of recent fires and the effects of logging in the proposed GKNP.

This restoration industry has the capacity to be upscaled massively to help workers transition from less sustainable industries.

We are lucky to live in a biodiversity hot spot.

The Coffs LGA is where the mountains meet the sea and the southern temperate overlaps with the northern tropical, giving rise to high rates of indemnity with many species found only around here.

There is so much more that could be done to enhance our unique natural assets and build our reputation as a world class ecotourism destination.

Funds could be redirected from subsidising the timber industry.

Once there is an appropriate level of reliable funding the Ecosystems Management Course at TAFE could be offered to any people currently employed in the timber industry and provide opportunities to create new jobs.

We need to find a way to help workers in this transition period, by investing in the Ecological Restoration Industry and developing a world class attraction in the GKNP.

Together in restoration,
Lindy DAVIS,
Coffs Coast.