Planned logging in critical Koala habitat in Kiwarrak State Forest near Taree is set to commence this Friday 3 May to coincide with Wild Koala Day. The logging of 446 hectares of Koala habitat will occur despite intense community opposition and will barely generate $63,180 from the destruction of native forests that have been the subject of huge investment from the Federal and NSW Governments to repair damage caused by the 2019/20 black summer bushfires.
Greens MP and spokesperson for the environment Sue Higginson said "The NSW Forestry Corporation can not and should not be allowed to continue this outrageous destruction of native forests, especially considering the investment that is occurring to protect Koalas,"
"It will cost NSW Labor's Forestry Corporation $1281 per hectare for their logging of the Kiwarrak Koala habitat and after costs, this leaves a total profit margin of around $63,180. Not only do their operations destroy critical habitat and the Koalas that depend on them, but they do so at a profit margin so meagre it is barely worth mentioning,"
"The Minns Labor Government has promised to reverse the extinction trajectory of Koalas in the wild, but they are also actively contributing to this unthinkable future by continuing to open new extinction logging in areas that should be protected,"
"While NSW Labor is funnelling tens of millions of dollars into building Koala hospitals, updating the Koala Strategy and planting seedlings, they are missing the real and serious point. Absolutely none of this will prevent the extinction of Koalas in the wild. These strategies represent nothing more than a distraction from the real issue at hand - the continued logging of critical koala habitat in our native forests,"
"The figures are staggering and the devastation is a disgrace when put in perspective. Kiwarrak could be saved for a fraction of a Minister's annual salary. The proposed destruction of our precious native forests, NSW Labor could not even buy a mid-range Tesla, let alone a modest suburban home in Taree. Is this really the price of extinction?"
"The Koalas in Kiwarrak barely survived the black summer bushfires of 2019/2020. Just two breeding seasons later NSW Labor deems it appropriate to plunder the critical habitat that is left. The extraordinarily low price Premier Minns and Minister Tara Moriarty are slapping on the extinction of our iconic Koalas is an utter disgrace and must be called out,"
"The Kiwarrak community rallied together and put a very reasonable and modest proposal to the Minns Labor Government to create a Flora Reserve over part of Kiwarrak which would see critical Koala habitat protected from logging."
"If it wasn't so absolutely tragic, it would be almost laughable that on the same day we are set to celebrate and draw importance to the need for the conservation of wild Koalas, NSW Labor's Forestry Corporation have earmarked Kiwarrak wild Koala habitat for destruction," Ms Higginson said.
