The process to create the GKNP has finally begun!
NSW Government’s GKNP consultation process off to a rocky start.
After waiting seven months to hear from the NSW Government about the GKNP planning process and promised community involvement, NPA and other GKNP supporting stakeholders were pleased to receive an invitation to participate on a soon to be established ‘GKNP Community Advisory Panel’.
Environment Minister Penny Sharpe also set a meeting with wider GKNP campaigners in Coffs Harbour, to have a “conversation” about the process. While invitees awaited the arrival of the Minister at said meeting, a small peaceful band of GKNP supporters stood outside the venue with banners. The Minister was not happy about the ‘protestors’ and possibility of media and declared she would not show!
All were shocked by this snap decision, many having travelled significant distances to attend in good faith. Many of those present have been working tirelessly for the GKNP for many, many years.
This unfortunate incident did not bode well with those already feeling frustrated by delayed GKNP planning and betrayed by the horrendous ongoing industrial logging.
Koala in Oakes SF scheduled for logging to commence any day.
Four days later the Minister invited the same people to meet online in lieu of the abandoned meeting. This meeting went well, with Penny listening to questions and statements and responding with commitments to provide further information and community consultation meetings in the new year. Not surprisingly none of our requests resulted in a promise to stop logging the proposed GKNP.
In the meantime, we are concerned that the Minister has reduced the GKNP assessment area from 184,000 ha to 171,000 ha without explanation. This may mean that the 8,000 ha within the Koala Hubs are now protected although logging in the Hubs is only "suspended" according to the government announcement, so no certainty there. NPA wants all 176,000ha of state forests (excluding genuine plantations) that is proposed by the community, to be assessed as per Minister Sharpe's original promise.
Three formal Advisory Panels will be set up to provide input into planning the GKNP. The Community panel will include state, regional and local conservation organisations, tourism and local government reps, the Industry panel will include timber industry and union reps and the Aboriginal panel will include local and state Lands Councils, Elders Groups and Aboriginal Corporations reps. It is expected that the panels will meet once this year before commencing monthly meetings in 2024.
Logging suspended in “Koala Hubs”
The NSW government has suspended logging in all GKNP “Koala Hubs” except those occurring in plantations within the GKNP footprint. This happened only after weeks of community pressure raising concerns about the delay in establishing the park and the escalating industrial logging in the GKNP.
Hubs are mapped areas where concentrations of koala records exist. The cessation of logging in the Hubs is welcome, but it only covers 5% of the GKNP investigation area, with extensive koala habitat and numerous koala records existing in the other 95% and sadly, a number of Hubs were heavily logged before the decision. With more than a 12-month process proposed to create the park, the suspension of logging in only the Hubs leaves important habitat areas without any protection until at least 2025!
Ongoing logging in the GKNP
Within the GKNP investigation area, there are currently 18 logging operations either ‘Active’ or ‘Temporarily Paused’ with a further 22 logging operations planned to commence within the next 12 months!
Even if you have already written to the Premier and or Minister Sharpe asking them to stop logging the GKNP, please do so again. We know the government is sensitive to media about this issue and that lobbying is making a difference, so please help keep the pressure up.
NPA Technical Working Group (TWG)
Our TWG continues to produce maps highlighting the various values of the GKNP in preparation for the planning process – yes we expect to have to work hard for every little bit of the proposal to be included in the park!
We’re are also preparing State Forest by State Forest case studies in consultation with grass roots GKNP supporter groups. These documents will inform our input into the planning process and provide important resources for other groups in their efforts for the GKNP too.
NPA Technical Working Group members James Sherwood, Lyn McRae and Lyn Orrego meeting with John Pile (Friends of Pine Creek) to discuss the Pine Creek State Forest Case Study.
Maagunda Muruygu Festival of Forests in the Nambucca Valley
Hosted by the Bob Brown Foundation
and despite the rain, a wonderful array of forest lovers gathered to share their passion for forests, listen to speeches, enjoy music and watch Gumbaynggirr performances.
The highlight of the event was hearing Bobs Brown’s inspirational speech galvanising folks to stay the course toward an end to logging of public native forest in NSW, despite the ongoing resistance from the NSW government.
Folks gather to hear Bob Brown's inspiring speech at the Festival of Forests 4 Nov 2023