‘High density' area of endangered species left out of NSW great koala national park plan, advocates say
Forest advocates say an important area that is home to endangered koalas and southern greater gliders has been left out of the Minns government's assessment for its proposed great koala national park in northern New South Wales.
WWF-Australia, the National Parks Association of NSW and community forest groups from the mid-north coast region have urged the state's environment minister, Penny Sharpe, to consider including the 528ha area in the promised park after recent drone surveys detected a 'high density' of threatened species.
The area sits within the Bollanolla Range, north-west of Valla Beach and within the Newry state forest. The section of forest was not part of the state government's assessment of 176,000 ha for potential inclusion in the new national park because it had not been formally gazetted as state forest when the assessment area was determined.
Calls to include the area come amid frustration among conservationists and scientists at the length of time it is taking the Minns government to declare the park's boundaries and deliver the main environmental commitment it took to the 2023 election.
Logging has continued within areas assessed for the proposed park and there has been growing anger within the conservation community about convictions recorded by the state logging agency for breaches of environmental conditions.
WWF-Australia and the National Parks Association funded drone surveys that were conducted within the Bollanolla area on three nights in March and April.
The groups said the surveys detected 10 koalas, five southern greater gliders and two squirrel gliders, which suggested the area supported a 'high density of threatened species'.
'There is no doubt the Bollanolla block in Newry State Forest should be included in the great koala national park,' said Grahame Douglas, president of the Coffs Harbour branch of the National Parks Association.
'These surveys demonstrate that Bollanolla is an exceptional hotspot of biodiversity, with confirmed sightings of many threatened species that depend on intact forest, including greater, yellow-bellied and squirrel gliders, koala and sooty owl.'
The groups said the surveys built on existing work by government ecologists that found the presence of yellow-bellied and southern greater gliders suggested there was an 'adequate array' of hollow-bearing trees – considered a rare commodity in north-east coastal forests.
They said the Bollanolla Range, which largely escaped the 2019-20 black summer fires, was known for potential habitat for up to 40 threatened species, and its elevation and gullies provided a refuge for species sensitive to rising temperatures.
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WWF-Australia conservation scientist Dr Stuart Blanch said the area 'is a rare patch of mature coastal forest at risk of logging'.
'It should be protected in the great koala national park, and should have been assessed by the NSW government,' he said.
A NSW government spokesperson said 'the creation of a great koala national park was one of our key election commitments and we will deliver it soon'.
'The assessment process is at an advanced stage but is ongoing,' they said.
'176,000 hectares of state forest is being assessed for possible protection as part of the comprehensive assessment process which takes into account environmental, economic, social, ecological and cultural issues. The final area will be added to existing national parks and reserves.'
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