Protest Erupts in Orara East State Forest as Logging Begins Ahead of Koala Park Declaration
Just weeks before the long-promised proclamation of the Great Koala National Park, chainsaws, heavy machinery and controversy have roared into Orara East State Forest. The Minns Labor Government’s commitment to protect koalas is being tested in real-time, with Forestry Corporation NSW now moving to log areas of forest that were expected to be preserved as part of the landmark conservation project.
Locals didn’t take the news lying down.
In a powerful display of civil resistance, members of the community formed a blockade to delay the entry of logging equipment, temporarily halting operations. No arrests were made, but police were called to the scene and the community dispersed—only to promise they would return.
Greens MP and environmental spokesperson Sue Higginson condemned the move in a scathing statement.
“What a kick in the guts for the community around Orara East State Forest to have your Government promise on the one hand to protect the forest you love, but then to watch the machines roll in to destroy it by logging first,” she said.
Orara East, nestled between Bucca State Forest to the north and Ulidarra National Park to the south, is more than just a patch of green.
It’s a critical ecological corridor, one that scientists argue is essential for species migration, biodiversity connectivity, and climate resilience in the face of extreme weather and habitat fragmentation.
The timing of the logging has infuriated conservationists, with many accusing the government of racing to extract timber before the area is officially gazetted as part of the Great Koala National Park. The move risks irreversible damage to habitat that is home to at least 44 threatened species—including one of Australia’s most significant wild koala populations.
One of the protest’s most recognisable figures is local grandfather Peter Elzer, who earlier this year camped outside NSW Parliament for 12 days on a hunger strike demanding urgent forest protection.
“Peter recently did a 12-day hunger strike for forests in Macquarie Street on the doorsteps of Parliament House,” said Higginson. “The Minister for Environment Penny Sharpe spoke with Mr Elzer outside of the Parliament and said that his hunger strike was not necessary because the Great Koala National Park is ‘very close’. The deception and betrayal is sickening.”
Community groups have been holding weekly vigils at the forest’s edge for months, warning of the ecological cost of continued logging. The announcement that machinery had entered the forest felt like a gut punch. Bellingen Activist Network and Friends of Orara East State Forest are two of the Facebook groups organised by protesters.
“Orara East State Forest is home to a globally significant koala population,” said Sue Higginson. “Its protection is essential to the genuine conservation of the species… It is home to some 44 known threatened species, including many hollow-dependent arboreal mammals.”
While Premier Minns and Environment Minister Penny Sharpe have stated that planning for the park is underway, they are now under fire for allowing logging in one of its most critical sections. Higginson wrote to both ministers, and Agriculture Minister Tara Moriarty, demanding the work be stopped immediately and warning of community backlash.
“Now, it seems Premier Minns and NSW Labor have once again turned their backs on the community and are pushing ahead with their extinction logging agenda,” she said.
Sue Higginson has pledged to join the protestors in person this Saturday, 15 June, at 11.30am at the entrance to Orara East State Forest on Eastbank Forest Road. With more protest actions expected in the coming days, pressure is mounting on the NSW Government to either honour its environmental commitments—or face a very public reckoning.
This story will be updated as events unfold at Orara East.
Related stories
Loggers take a chainsaw to Great Koala National Park idea
Targeted Logging Threatens Great Koala National Park
Pentarch Sawmill blockaded after sourcing logs from koala park
Forestry Corp fails Koala Protection Measures inside GKNP
Logging halted after Forestry Corp misidentifies trees
MPs $64,000 question – Save Koalas or logging trucks
The Great Koala National Park without any Koalas
Great Koala National Park Advocacy Group visits NSW Parliament House
