However, for proponents of the Park, action cannot come soon enough.

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The Bellingen Environment Centre (BEC) has called on the Government to suspend all logging within the proposed Great Koala National Park as consultation for the Koala Park begins in Coffs Harbour.

“The future of koalas on the Coffs Coast hangs in the balance and the Labor party’s promise of saving the healthiest population in NSW is not happening,” BEC spokesperson Dominic King said:

“If logging is allowed to continue within the boundaries of the proposed Great Koala National Park, koalas and a large number of other critically threatened and endangered animals will suffer.”

Coinciding with the first meeting of the Great Koala National Park advisory panel in Coffs Harbour, BEC has been working closely with locals who live next to Pine Creek State Forest.

“The community is fast noticing that Labor are dragging their feet in standing up for the health of our environment and especially our internationally loved koalas.

“The industrial logging that we are seeing at Pine Creek is an environmental and economic disaster and not only a major threat to koalas, but it’s also a serious waste of taxpayers’ dollars and undermines the $190 million NSW Government Koala Strategy.”

When contacted by News Of The Area, a spokesperson from the office of the Minister for Agriculture, Tara Moriarty, pointed to the NSW Government’s announcement of the process to establish the Great Koala National Park, as well as a halt to timber harvesting operations in the 106 koala hubs within the area being assessed for the park.

According to the spokesperson, the Government considers the creation of the Great Koala National Park on the NSW Mid North Coast as Labor’s largest environmental commitment and a crucial part of the overall strategy to save koalas from extinction in NSW.

The spokesperson said the Government will implement a halt to timber harvesting in koala hubs within the assessment area for the park while the work to establish the park is carried out.

This includes the 106 koala hubs that cover more than 8,400 hectares of state forest.

As well as discussions with Forestry Corporation of NSW about the next steps of the cessation and determination of timber supply options, the process to establish the park will involve three key components.

These are an independent economic and social assessment, the establishment of industry, community and Aboriginal advisory panels to provide input to the creation of the park, and an expert environmental and cultural heritage assessment.

Despite Labor’s assurances, Mr King remains unconvinced.

“Labor needs to listen to health and environmental scientists, not a single industry, and place a moratorium on logging immediately,” he said.

“The science is crystal clear and says we need to end native forest logging to protect human health, biodiversity, prevent catastrophic bushfires, enhance rainfall, and stabilise the climate, which is exacerbating extreme weather including heatwaves, droughts and floods.”

Frustration is growing amongst conservationists and anti-logging groups, with a banner unveiled recently over the Pacific Highway accusing the Labor Party of supporting koala extinction, alongside a photo of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

By Andrew VIVIAN