Maroc - TIMBERBIZ.COM.AU - A La Une - 13/Feb 23:35

Great Koala Park would kill off 9000 jobs

More than 9000 jobs will go in the hardwood industry if the ‘Great Koala National Park’ is imposed on north coast communities, say forestry workers. Source: Timberbiz They gathered at NSW Parliament House this week to plead with MPs not to create the park given the latest research shows healthy koala numbers. The latest CSIRO research from 2024 shows koala populations are stable and thriving with 748,000 of the animals in NSW. That’s double the number from an outdated 2016 study by Adams-Hosking which estimated populations at 331,000 and led to calls for the establishment of the park. Hardwood is used for power poles, wharfs, walkways and flooring. Hardwoods are used for these mostly outdoor applications as they are stronger and harder wearing than softwoods. Softwoods are generally sourced from pine plantations and used for internal ceilings and furniture. Hardwood sourced from native forest is already heavily restricted. By law no harvesting occurs in old growth forest, and clear felling is also outlawed. Only a small proportion of trees are harvested and are immediately replanted. Now 88% of NSW Public Forests are already protected, and of the remaining 12% only 0.2% are subject to selective timber harvesting. There are five competing models for the ‘Great Koala National Park’, with Forestry workers supportive of models which don’t endanger forestry communities. Any radical changes to forestry practice in the north will cripple south coast processing facilities where most of NSW’s forestry products are made. Macleay Valley hardwood worker John Gunst, 65, told the Daily Telegraph the current proposal would kill nearby communities such as Kempsey, Kundabung and Nambucca Heads which have lived off the timber industry for generations. “All the timber towns rely on the same thing, if you close the timber industry down, you’re virtually closing the town down,” Mr Gunst said. “This scares local people because this is the only job they have and if you take away the timber from these regional towns you’re taking away the main source of jobs and income. “And that’s not including associated industries such as those who make mill machinery and saws, builders and carpenters, they are all going to be out of jobs because the timber is not going to be there.” Australian Workers’ Union NSW Secretary Tony Callinan says the latest 2024 CSIRO study shows koala populations are thriving and stable. “The latest CSIRO research shows koala numbers in NSW are stable and thriving and that’s great news,” Mr Callinan said. “The key here is balancing the need to protect native species while providing future generations the raw materials for housing and infrastructure. “Nine thousand north coast locals have jobs in the timber supply chain with their healthy pay cheques going directly into their small communities, it’s imperative we get the balance right or we’ll endanger this $3 billion industry. “The worst possible scenario would be to get timber from parts of the world with no environmental standards, or to use more climate change intensive products for our power poles, wharves and flooring. “Timber is quite literally nature’s carbon capture and storage; we should be harnessing it as much as possible while ensuring healthy populations of native species. “Forestry workers from the north coast are here in NSW Parliament House today to make sure decision makers know we have to get this balancing act right to ensure their communities’ survival. “They’ve been meeting with Labor Party MPs and telling them not to abandon their core constituency of hard-working Australian families on this issue or they might find themselves an endangered species.” NSW Nationals Leader Dugald Saunders told the Daily Telegraph the fact workers had “come all the way to Macquarie Street to voice their concerns” was telling. “In the lead up to the state election Labor promised to deliver the Great Koala National Park while also protecting timber jobs, but so far we’ve seen it used as a vehicle to shut down the industry,” he said. However, a NSW government spokesperson did not rule out the park would go ahead as planned. “The Great Koala National Park is the NSW Government’s biggest environmental commitment, it will be delivered,” they said.