Please go and see the documentary The Koalas to get a graphic view of the ridiculous situation in NSW where koala habitat destruction is being sanctioned by the government and our planning laws. It is not only koala habitat under threat, native forests all over the state that are essential for our welfare are still being destroyed. There are screenings of the film in many locations.

For many years conservation groups have been attempting to make the government accept the reality that the native forestry industry cannot continue to destroy our biodiversity, wildlife habitats and carbon sinks. Victoria and WA have finally ceased logging in native forests and have initiated transition plans for the forestry industry. However, all along the coast of NSW, state forestry operations are continuing and they are flouting the regulations under the Regional Forestry Agreements that are intended to provide protection of the biodiversity of these forests.

Glider populations ignored

It is not only koalas under threat. The Forestry Corporation of NSW is flouting regulations by failing to do proper surveys of wildlife to ensure they avoid cutting down habitat trees. Earlier this year South East Forest Rescue published evidence that Forestry has failed to comply with the most basic of regulations – to survey for the nocturnal greater gliders at the time when they are emerging from their dens.

The Environment Protection Authority, the body meant to be enforcing these regulations, has refused to prosecute or extend stop work orders in response to this clear violation of the law. Instead, they have weakened the regulations even further. The new requirements have significantly reduced when and where Forestry must survey glider dens during the periods they are active.

Logging of koalas’ forests accelerated

Our koalas are now declared an endangered species with a prediction that they will be extinct in the wild by 2050 if current habitat destruction continues.

The Minns government made an election promise to create the Great Koala National Park in the north-east, an area that would contain one-fifth of the state’s koala population. But the government is stonewalling on putting this into action. It has established a long-winded process to determine the boundaries of the park leaving most of the area subject to ongoing intense logging by Forestry in the meantime.

Based on Forestry’s own maps as at 25 June 2024, of the 20 active logging operations on the north coast from the Hunter to the Queensland border, more than half were in the Great Koala National Park footprint. That’s despite the proposed park area containing just one-fifth of state forests in the region. Dalian Pugh from North East Forest Alliance (NEFA) said:

The Minns Government is allowing the state owned logging company to target the proposed park to take as many trees as they can, degrading the proposed park before it’s even established.

Forestry’s planning portal shows the forest compartments on the chopping block before the Great Koala National Park boundaries are finalised.

The NCC has developed an interactive map showing past and planned logging. Their analysis shows that up to 19,000 hectares of forest in the proposed Great Koala National Park is at risk of destruction by Forestry before April next year.

This situation is outrageous. Taxpayers are paying for this environmental destruction. The public native forest hardwood division of Forestry is also costing millions to keep it afloat. It made just $400,000 profit in 2019–20, and in 2020–21 it ran at a loss of $20 million. Forestry is predicted to lose $15 million a year between 2022 and 2024.

Until now legal action has been unsuccessful

Legal action by citizen groups against Forestry operations has been limited by the existence of the Regional Forestry Agreements as they bypass normal federal environmental scrutiny. This situation may have changed when in November 2023, the Land and Environment Court rejected that position when a case brought by NEFA, with the help of the EDO, was successful.

NEFA lodged an application for an urgent injunction to stop Forestry logging vital koala habitat in two state forests in north-east NSW. While NEFA was not ultimately successful, the court confirmed for the first time that the Forestry Act does not prevent persons with a special interest from taking legal action over forestry operations, including disputing logging approvals.

This decision has emboldened the South East Forest Rescue to sue Forestry over their inadequate protection of glider populations referred to above.

Sydney’s koalas are also threatened

Lendlease is currently developing 3,300 homes on the Gilead Estate, south-west of Sydney near Campbelltown. Their website claims that:

Our proposal prioritises areas for environmental conservation upfront providing a unique opportunity to improve biodiversity and conservation outcomes throughout the life of the project and into the future.

The Planning Panel that assessed the development imposed a condition for a wildlife corridor along Menangle Creek that the Chief Scientist advised should be at least 425 m wide in order to facilitate movement between the Georges River and bushland along the Nepean River and underpasses under busy Appin Road. Most of the clearing has occurred without the underpasses being built and the corridor is less than the required width.