“In order to meet current wood supply contracts, the NSW Government plans to zone most of the coastal State Forests for intensive logging and clear-felling, and to remove the already inadequate protection for core koala habitat,” NEFA spokesperson, Dailan Pugh said.

“Our analysis shows that of the 6000 records of koalas on State Forest in north-east NSW, 92 per cent of them are in the 57 per cent of forests proposed to be zoned for intensified logging, with the highest koala densities in the 140,000ha of State Forests proposed to be zoned to allow virtual clearfelling.

"Areas of State Forests found in study after study to be core koala habitat, such as in Pine Creek, Royal Camp and Carwong, are intended to be zoned for intensified logging and committed in contracts to the industry.”

Mr Pugh said there was already an intensification of logging, which the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) describe as “not consistent” with the laws governing logging is occurring.

“The intensification of logging and reduction in protections for threatened species, such as koalas, are being driven by 25 year wood supply contracts first signed in 1998,” Mr Pugh said.

“Since then the committed volumes of large sawlogs have had to be reduced by 47 per cent because of the Forestry Corporation’s grossly inflated resource estimations. 

“NSW taxpayers have paid loggers at least $13 million in compensation for non-existent timber they were given for free, and millions more buying timber from private land to supplement supplies.

“Over that time, koala populations on the north-coast have crashed by 50 per cent. Their demise is one of the costs of logging.”

According to the NSW Government Forest Industry Roadmap the Government began negotiating new wood supply contracts late last year and intend to finalise them by the middle of this year, even though most don’t expire until 2023. The biggest one, BORAL, doesn’t expire until 2028.

This revelation has also angered North Coast Environment Council’s Susie Russell.

“We can’t afford more of the same,” Ms Russell said.

“New timber contracts covering core koala habitat will signal the end for NSW koalas.

“If the people of NSW want koalas to exist in the wild, then our government will have to stop giving their feed trees and homes to the loggers. It’s pretty simple really.”

In response to the conservation groups’ claims, NSW Forestry Corporation said timber harvesting from the state’s regrowth native forests has been ongoing for the past 100 years.

“Throughout this time koala populations and the timber industry have co-existed and we know from recent research that they continue to do so today,” a NSW Forestry Corporation spokesperson said.

“Research undertaken by the Department of Industry - Lands in Northern NSW has demonstrated that there are large areas of koala habitat in National Parks, State Forests and private lands.

“Importantly koalas have been recorded living in and around areas of state forest where harvesting has occurred both recently and historically. 

“The areas of State forest that are available for harvesting make up just four per cent of the 23 million hectares of forested land in NSW and these forests are critical for providing renewable regrowth timber for our local industry while also continuing to support significant koala populations.

“This is a result of many years of well managed, sustainable forestry practices.  

“Notably, in every forest that is harvested, on average around 40 per cent of the harvest area is set aside for conservation.

“Further, trees are retained right across the areas harvested to provide seed and to provide ongoing habitat for threatened species as well as timber for future generations.

“With this sensible, long term land management practices in our forests there is no reason to believe that koalas will not continue to occupy our forests into the future. 

“Wood is a great, renewable product and timber harvesting and processing creates thousands of jobs in regional areas and generates millions of dollars for regional economies. 

“Timber harvesting in NSW is carefully managed to ensure State forests continue to produce a sustainable supply of timber while supporting thriving populations of native species.”

Ms Russell disputes NSW Forestry Corporation’s claims and said she called on the Premier Gladys Berejiklian to give a commitment that “Forestry Corporation will not be allowed to intensify logging in coastal forests and for her to give an assurance that trees and habitat needed by koalas will be excluded from logging, deducted from timber calculations and removed from contracts”.