“Stand up for koalas or they won't survive in the wild” is the warning call from the North East Forest Alliance (NEFA).
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On Thursday Premier Mike Baird opened up an estimated 2.2 million hectares of private land for clearing under the new 'Equity Codes'. NEFA claim this region was identified as prime koala habitat.
“The NSW Government is carrying out a koala extermination program. It really can't be seen as anything else. It is gutting protections for koalas in all the relevant legislation,” NEFA spokesperson Dailan Pugh said.
The news comes on top of the NSW Government’s plan to change laws that govern what is permissible in defined koala habitat statewide –meaning this has consequences for the Bellingen Shire too.
“The latest attack on koalas follows an earlier announcement by the Baird Government that next year it intends to remove requirements for NSW Forestry Corporation to look for koalas before they log, and protect Koala High Use Areas on public land,” Mr Pugh said.
“Baird's latest nail in the koala's coffin was announced on Friday. He now intends to gut the 20-year-old 'State Environmental Planning Policy No 44 – Koala Habitat Protection' (SEPP 44) to simplify approvals for developers.
“The NSW Planning Minister, Rob Stokes, intends to remove the need for developers to prepare site specific Koala Plans of Management, weaken the definition of core koala habitat and remove the need for councils to zone core Koala habitat for protection in their Local Environment Plans.
“These changes make it clear that it is a deliberate, coordinated and comprehensive attack on the very survival of koalas.”
Mr Pugh said that during the last 20 years, from 1990 to 2010, koala populations in NSW are estimated to have declined by 33 per cent.
“Koala populations are crashing throughout the state,” he said.
“As a result of Premier Baird's comprehensive removal of koala protections it is unlikely that NSW's koalas will survive the next 20 years in the wild … it is a government program for extermination.”
To give feedback on the changes to SEPP 44, locals can call on (02) 8574 5000.
“Saving the wild koalas of NSW will require a massive public outcry, as koalas on rural lands have already lost most of their protections, and the onslaught will continue next year when the public land changes take effect, and protections for urban koala populations are slashed,” Mr Pugh said.
