Coffs Harbour Council Unanimously Supports a Great Koala National Park Coffs Coast Coffs Coast News by News Of The Area - Modern Media - April 1, 2022 Councillors Jonathan Cassell (right), Tegan Swan (centre) and Sally Townley at a previous Council meeting. COFFS Harbour City Council unanimously resolved to support a Great Koala National Park at its recent meeting on Thursday, 24 March. There were two public submissions before the Council discussed and voted on the proposal. 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 Dave Wood of Boambee East told Council that the Coffs area is regarded as the largest remaining area of regional koala significance in New South Wales, with 76 percent of the remaining koala hubs being on the Mid-North Coast. He said that a proposed bill to be presented to the NSW Parliament will legislate for job transition from forestry to tourism. Mr Wood pointed out that Coffs Harbour City Council has a history of supporting koala conservation but anecdotal evidence indicates that koala numbers have reduced in the past 10 to 15 years. He said, “We need to back it and deliver a strong voice to our State Government that in this part of the state, we care about koalas and they need to start acting rather than just talking.” Councillor Jonathan Cassell moved a motion ‘That Council supports the creation of the Great Koala National Park and writes to the NSW Environment Minister the Hon. James Griffin MP expressing the Council’s support for the creation of the Great Koala National Park’. His motion included riders that Council requests that the NSW Government offers a comprehensive industry transition package for affected workers, that significant investment is offered to the region to build the necessary park infrastructure for the new national park and that funding is provided to expand the forest plantation sector locally to ensure the long term viability of the forestry sector. After some debate, the motion was lost by three votes to five. However, Councillor Sally Townley had foreshadowed a motion that altered ‘the Great Koala National Park’ to ‘a Great Koala National Park’ without the riders. This motion was carried unanimously. Cr Cassell said support for koala conservation and eco-tourism is increasingly important for our local council. He said, “It’s clear support for a great koala park on the Mid North Coast is growing and this was reflected in the final vote on my notice of motion. “While the detail of how that should be worked out isn’t settled, all of the Councillors recognise the positive economic and conservation value of a Great Koala National Park, which is now Council’s official position,” he continued. “This is an excellent start for our new eco-tourism certification and fits with our tourism strategy and community strategic plan. “I’m very happy for our Council and look forward to when this park finally gets approved,” he said. By Andrew VIVIAN
Councillor Cassell is making assumptions in his comments. The motion to support a Great Koala National Park, is not specific as to where the Park might actually be, nor is it specific as to what the Park may comprise of. Reply
Thank you very much for voting in support of the Great Koala National Park Cr Pryce. You may not be aware, but there is no ambiguity about the location of the Great Koala National Park, nor what it is comprised of. This information has been publicly available, is well mapped and defined, and has been promoted nationally and internationally. It is to add 175,000 hectares of publicly owned native forests that are unsustainably industrially logged by the NSW Government, to existing protected areas to form a 315,000 hectare reserve in the Coffs Harbour hinterland. All the information about it is at http://www.koalapark.org.au. After the decimation of the Port Macquarie Koala population in the fires of Black Spring, we now have the biggest wild Koala population in NSW. This is a globally significant treasure and we really need to look after it. Thanks once more for supporting this important initiative that will sustain our biodiversity and benefit our economy. Best wishes. Reply
Thank you very much for voting in support of the Great Koala National Park Cr Pryce. You may not be aware, but there is no ambiguity about the location of the Great Koala National Park, nor what it is comprised of. This information has been publicly available, is well mapped and defined, and has been promoted nationally and internationally. It is to add 175,000 hectares of publicly owned native forests that are unsustainably industrially logged by the NSW Government, to existing protected areas to form a 315,000 hectare reserve in the Coffs Harbour hinterland. All the information about it is at http://www.koalapark.org.au. After the decimation of the Port Macquarie Koala population in the fires of Black Spring, we now have the biggest wild Koala population in NSW. This is a globally significant treasure and we really need to look after it. Thanks once more for supporting this important initiative that will sustain our biodiversity and benefit our economy. Best wishes. Reply
Can Council provide guarantees to its ratepayers that creating a national park will improve koala numbers. If they cannot provide that guarantee, what measures will they put in place to ensure annual transparent monitoring is carried out to prove a national park managed under benign neglect is better for koalas than a forest actively mange’s by professional land managers. If they cannot provide that guarantee then I suggest Councillors focus instead on providing road, rubbish and other core services to its rate payers. Reply
