DEAR News Of The Area,

HOW revealing (‘Perrottet government plan to end native forest logging in NSW was blocked by Nationals’, 25 May 2023) that Peter Hannan reports in the Guardian newspaper that the National Party blocked a Liberal Party plan to end native forest logging on public land in NSW in October last year.

We know because the Liberal Party Environment Minister at the time James Griffin and members of the Liberal Party are talking about it and we will know all about it because Greens Upper House member Sue Higginson has done a call for papers behind the proposal to be tabled in the Upper House of the NSW Parliament.

In the same article current Environment Minister Penny Sharp was quoted as saying that the Government wanted to create the new park “as soon as possible”.

Minister Sharp also stated, “As the process is being established, the Environment Protection Authority is engaging with Forestry Corp of NSW to encourage them to take a precautionary approach to conducting forestry operations in areas with highly suitable koala habitat, and to ensure such values are maintained if forestry operations are necessary in these areas.”

We therefore now have a renewed commitment to the proposed Great Koala National Park with a clear majority in both sides of parliament.

We also have a strong commitment in statements to NSW Parliament yesterday that timber workers will not be left behind.

And finally, we have a commitment from Minister Sharp to a process to provide protection for “highly suitable koala habitat“, which includes at least 60 percent of the proposed park according to community estimates and recent Federal Government mapping.

It is time to get behind the Great Koala National Park proposal and ensure the best outcome for Coffs Harbour and the region.

Regards,
Ashley LOVE,
Coffs Harbour Jetty.