Community consultation has opened on the proposed Great Koala National Park, with the NSW Government inviting locals, visitors, and user groups to help shape how the park will be used and managed into the future.
An online survey has been launched on the NSW Have Your Say website to gather feedback on recreational opportunities across the state forests and reserves that would form part of the planned park on the Mid North Coast. The consultation is open to people who already use the area, as well as those who may wish to visit the region in the future.
The NSW Government says the Great Koala National Park is an election commitment and would protect habitat for more than 100 threatened species, including more than 12,000 koalas and 36,000 greater gliders.
The consultation process follows broader engagement with community groups, with more than 300 responses already provided on what people value most when visiting the forests and reserves within the proposed park footprint. Input has been received from a wide range of stakeholders, including four wheel drive clubs, mountain biking and bushwalking groups, horse riding clubs, archery and gun clubs, sporting car clubs, local government, environment groups, and Aboriginal communities.
Acting Minister for the Environment Steve Whan said the proposed park was intended to balance conservation with recreation.
“The Great Koala National Park will protect more than 100 threatened species, but it’s not just about conservation. The park will be a recreational hotspot for locals and visitors alike,” Mr Whan said.
“We want to hear from people who use and relax in the footprint of the forests and surrounding landscapes that make up the park,” he said.
The overarching park will comprise individual reserves, allowing for a range of recreational activities depending on reserve category, with legislation determining what activities are permitted in each area.
Minister for Jobs and Tourism Steve Kamper said the park was expected to be a major tourism drawcard.
“We want the Great Koala National Park to be at the top of the must see list for visitors to NSW and Australia,” he said.
“This major eco tourism hub and unique NSW experience will attract domestic and international visitors all year round, which is a key component of our new Visitor Economy Strategy, while boosting local economies and creating jobs,” Mr Kamper said.
However, despite the consultation process, the timber industry continues to oppose the creation of the park, disputing claims about the threat to koalas and warning of impacts on jobs, businesses, and communities.
Timber NSW chief executive Maree McCaskill said koalas were not as threatened as the government claimed, pointing to koala numbers in a baseline survey released after the announcement of the park.
“Politicians like to tell voters that their decision-making is evidence-based and yet we can see clearly now that the NSW Government’s urgent need to destroy livelihoods, businesses, and communities in the native forest industry was not, and the Government knew they were spinning a lie,” Ms McCaskill said.
“While the decision to destroy forest industries has already been taken by Minister Sharpe, it is worthwhile recording that the assessment area has been sustainably managed and harvested for over 100 years and during this time there has been no threat to koalas from the timber industry,” she said.
Ms McCaskill said Timber NSW was calling on the government to reconsider its decision to create the park.
Minister for the North Coast Janelle Saffin said the community would play a central role in shaping the park.
“The Great Koala National Park is an election commitment, and we want the community right at the centre of shaping what it becomes,” she said.
“Done well, this park will also be a major tourism drawcard, supporting local businesses, creating jobs, and delivering long term economic benefits,” Ms Saffin said.
The survey is open until Sunday, 1 March at www.haveyoursay.nsw.gov.au/great-koala-national-park.
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