Koala Woman Says

Port Macquarie is the home of the famous koala hospital which recently celebrated 40 years of operation. The area is home to one of the largest Koala populations on the north coast of NSW. Also in this electorate is Taree with another large but diminishing population. Smaller populations occur south of Kempsey and at Elands and Gloucester. This electorate now includes most of the Paterson electorate, so has gained additional Koalas from Seaham and Clarence Town, and Chichester and Bulahdelah State Forests, but will likely lose some because of Minister Ley’s Brandy Hill Quarry approval. It has certainly lost hundreds of Koalas from the summer of 2019 – 2020 fires, with almost half of the bush burnt, much of it good Koala habitat.

A Comprehensive Koala Plan has recently been introduced for the eastern part of Kempsey Shire (where there is no logging anyway), and the Taree Plan has languished for 15 years without being adopted.. Why does it take so long? Councils depend on rates: no development, no income. It’s a conflict of interest, and another reason why we need a Koala Protection Act.

Will he Act or Axe?