The Great Koala Protected Areas (GKNP) Bill – LOST!

The Bill was debated in the NSW Upper House on 8 June with the vote lost 30 to 7. Politics once again won out over the future of koalas in NSW with the Government and Opposition voting against the NSW Greens’ bill to establish the Great Koala National Park.

Labor MP Penny Sharp said Labor did not trust the Coalition Government to be able to deliver on the vision of the Great Koala National Park so based on this and other concerns would not support the Bill.

Greens MPs Cate Faehrmann and Sue Higginson spoke strongly of the plight of the koala and need for urgent action, while independent MP Justin Fields provided convincing statistics on the unviable economics of logging NSW public native forests and the impending train wreck for that sector. The Animal Justice Party also supported of the Bill. Outgoing Liberal MP Catherine Cusack while speaking in support of the Bill revealed the deals done by the Liberal and National parties during the so-called Koala Wars last year.  Greens MP Cate Faehrmann said “This Bill was a massive opportunity to begin making the gains in protecting koala habitat which are absolutely essential if we are to stop koalas becoming extinct before 2050.

It’s incredibly disappointing that all government and opposition members, except Ms Cusack, voted against the Bill”. The GKNP Campaign Team is bitterly disappointed but is of course pushing on now focusing on the March 2023 state government election with the aim of seeing a government elected that supports the creation of the GKNP.