Australia: New South Wales approves the 475,000-hectare Great Koala National Park
It adds 178,000 hectares of state forest to existing protected land and should open by year's end. Critics say funding it with carbon credits amounts to greenwashing.
It was a 2023 election promise and now it’s law. The New South Wales parliament in Australia passed the Great Koala National Park on 23 October, ten days after Premier Chris Minns tabled the bill.
The numbers
| Item | Figure |
|---|---|
| New area | 178,000 hectares |
| Total area | 475,000 hectares |
| Koalas protected | About 12,000 |
| Other threatened species | More than 100 |
It sits in the Mid North Coast region and is slated to open before the end of 2026. The Gumbaynggirr and Dunghutti peoples will continue to guide its management, with eight Aboriginal rangers. It will also protect southern greater gliders, glossy black cockatoos and rare spider orchids.
Why it was urgent
Koalas were declared endangered in the state in 2022. Their numbers fell by a third between 1990 and 2010, and the 2019-2020 bushfires are estimated to have killed 71% of those remaining on the northern coast.
The controversy: carbon credits
The state has earmarked AU$140 million, but long term the park will be paid for largely with carbon credits: generated by projects that reduce or stop native forest harvesting, and usable by emitting industries to offset their emissions.
Critics call it greenwashing. Greens MP Abigail Boyd said the scheme is “profoundly and fundamentally flawed”. Several attempts to amend it were voted down. Grahame Douglas of the National Parks Association calls it “not ideal, but… very practical and useful”, and described passage as a “great achievement”.
What’s left out
- About 17% of the park is regional parks for car, archery and mountain bike clubs.
- Pine Creek and Tuckers Nob State Forests are excluded.
- The plan of management framework is still to come.
A park this size is a win, but how it’s paid for and what’s allowed inside will decide how much it really protects.
Sources and references
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