DEAR News Of The Area,

I REFER to Peter Paunovic’s concerns (NOTA 18 August 2023) in relation to the Great Koala National Park (GKNP).

Peter raises good questions, and answers are available.

Peter only needs to go the GKNP website (https://npansw.org.au/campaigns-2/great-koala-national-
park/more-information-and-resources/) for a glance at the proposal.

Since then, the current Government committed to the establishment of a GKNP comprising existing national parks (135,000 Ha) as well as areas of native forest (approximately 175,000 Ha).

The NSW Government has made clear that this will not include plantation estate.

NPA supports a process based on scientific evidence as proposed however is deeply concerned with the delays in implementing the policy.

The intention is that the appropriate land manager will indeed be the NPWS, who is currently managing existing national parks for fire management, feral animal and weed control as well as conservation programs on park.

Tasks not adequately replicated by Forestry Corporation NSW.

Strategic fire trails will be maintained; however, many former logging tracks will need to be rehabilitated and closed (something that occurs in State Forests as well).

These priorities and fuel management treatments are undertaken in collaboration with the local Bush Fire Management Committee, of which NPWS is a member.

Currently, native forest harvesting is neither economically or environmentally sustainable, which is why there is a need to invest in genuine plantation forests.

Forestry Corporation currently cross subsidizes native forest logging through its profitable Softwoods Division and direct Government subsidies on the public purse.

Mills will need to ensure they can process plantation timbers, and local forest workers can be re-deployed to national parks under the Government’s $80 million funding package.

Many of the mills being sourced with timber are not even local.

Crews are being tasked from Wauchope and further afield to claim the prize of our native forests.

Haulers will need to go back to their original areas (hopefully not native forests) rather than the accelerated harvesting occurring around Kempsey, Nambucca and Coffs Harbour.

Clearly the impacts of national parks management are far less than that of FCNSW contractors, which have been fined for breaching logging conditions and even harvesting illegally on adjoining neighbours’ land.

There is no reason to drive our own species to extinction because of overseas poor logging practices.

Does anyone think that continuing harvesting NSW native forests will reduce exploitation of Indonesian and Papua New Guinea forestry.

Nearly 90 percent of the NSW timber market is currently supplied from profitable softwood plantations (including Forest Corporation NSW) and would be closer to 95 percent if export woodchips from the Southern Forests ceased.

Pallets, fencing and garden stakes do not need to use native forest timbers from the Mid North Coast.

What a waste.

Creating the GKNP will, over time, increase koala numbers and in the short term stop their rapid decline due to land clearance of koala habitat.

The GKNP is our main hope for the conservation of koala and other native species which is why the public and local businesses support its early establishment.

Regards,
Grahame DOUGLAS,
President, National Parks Association of NSW.
Korora.