The Land and Environment Court’s decision to fine NSW Forestry Corporation for destroying koala habitat at Cattle Creek near Coffs Harbour in July 2022 shows Forestry Corporation is woefully unfit for managing our State Forests.

Forestry Corporation NSW (FCNSW) incurred fines and costs totalling $285,600 when the Land and Environment Court found tree felling in exclusion zones had done “actual harm” to koala habitat in Wild Cattle Creek Forest near Coffs Harbour.   

The Land and Environment Court handed down a fine of $135,600 and ordered FCNSW to pay the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA)’s legal and investigation costs of $150,000 after FCNSW pleaded guilty to four charges brought by the EPA.

Justice Robson accepted there had been harm to Koala habitat as a result of the non-compliant activities.

“The felling of the large Eucalyptus trees and the construction or operation of snig tracks were highly likely to have had an adverse impact by reducing the size and the quality of the habitat available to the breeding female and offspring”

 “As such, I accept the position adopted by the prosecutor and find that there has been actual harm.”

Justice Robson said.

EPA Executive Director Regulatory Operations Carmen Dwyer said the prosecution sent a clear message to the forestry industry and operators.  

“All forestry operators have a responsibility to protect the environment and comply with the law when carrying out tree harvesting activities”

EPA Executive Director Regulatory Operations Carmen Dwyer said

National Parks Association President Dr Grahame Douglas said:

“Any confidence in Forestry Corporation’s planning and governance lies in tatters after yet another breach,” said National Parks Association CEO Gary Dunnett.

“It is unbelievable that a government-owned organisation, one that reports directly to the Minister for Agriculture, would show such contempt for our public native forests.

“If this was a private company shareholders would be demanding that the board stand down.  As a public corporation the NSW Treasurer and Finance Minister are the shareholders.  NPA calls on the Treasurer and Finance Minister to sack the Board and refer Forestry Corporation’s repeated breaches to the NSW Ombudsman for investigation as serious mal-administration”.

“These breaches put a spotlight on just how unsustainable and environmentally destructive damaging logging in public native forests has become” stated NPA Conservation Officer Danielle Ryan.  The NSW Government must act now to protect the north coast koalas and establish the Great Koala National Park near Coffs Harbour immediately”

said NPA President Dr Grahame Douglas.

Support The Great Koala National Park.

The Great Koala National Park, an initiative of the National Parks Association of NSW, calls for the immediate end to all logging on public native forests in NSW, in light of the court’s decision. 

Overall, there are 20 State Forests in the proposed area for The Great Koala National Park which have been designated for logging, as ‘proposed’, ‘planned’ or ‘active’. As of July 2022, Forestry Corporation are actively harvesting three State Forests in the area, Clouds Creek (Compartments 30, 31, 32, 33), Ellis (3, 4, 5, 6) and Thumb Creek (5,6) and have approval for four more Bagawa (1), Boambee (4,5,6,7), Collombati (9,10) and Conglomerate (23).

Join the growing number of people who want to want to see our national icon protected now and for future generations. Sign the petition to create the Great Koala National Park here.

Great Koala National Park campaigner, Paula Flack said

“The NSW and Federal Governments have the opportunity right now to cease this unstainable practice and transfer our public state forests into the next generation of national parks.

“NPA’s Great Koala National Park idea for the North Coast could be NSW’s crown jewel of parks — an international drawcard as attractive as the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. 

“Forestry Corporation’s plans to log areas of critical koala habitat in the west and southwest of Coffs Harbour over the coming months are completely ludicrous. 

“In light of the court’s decision, we plead with the NSW Government to act quickly before we lose Australia’s iconic koala — and the people of Coffs Harbour lose a vital tourism life string.

“The Great Koala National Park has an opportunity to create 9,800 new jobs for the region. Whereas, the illegal operations of our publicly-owned FC is a waste of taxpayers-money and resources”

Ms Paula Flack concluded.

Forestry Corporation’s last dash to log koala habitat on the mid-North Coast

Three of the state’s leading forest conservation groups called on the NSW Government to “immediately halt logging operations in state native forest” compartments known to be, or likely to be, koala habitat.

In 2016, analysis of NSW Forestry Corporation harvest plans showed 83 compartments in the 170,000 ha Great Koala National Park proposal area were listed for logging over the following six to nine months.

The NSW Nature Conservation Council (NCC), the NSW National Parks Association (NPA), and the North East Forest Alliance (NEFA) said they have no confidence logging in these critical habitat areas will be properly controlled after a parliamentary inquiry revealed serious deficiencies in the Environment Protection Authority’s regulation of forestry operations in NSW.

NSW National Parks Association NPA spokesman Ashley Love said:

“It is clear that the EPA is not equipped to effectively regulate native forest logging, which has been shown time and again to damage koala habitat”.

“Harvest plans show forestry operations are planned across 83 compartments in the Great Koala National Park proposal area in this financial year alone. In light of the findings of the parliament’s report, we urge the government to impose an immediate moratorium on logging these compartments and other state forests known to have important koala populations.”

North East Forest Alliance NEFA spokesperson Dailan Pugh said:

“Banning logging in koala habitat is the logical first step on the path to ending native forest logging on the North Coast by 2018 when the Regional Forest Agreements are due to expire. Logging companies, the NSW Forestry Corporation and the EPA have repeatedly failed to protect koalas and other threatened species, as they are require by law, so it is now up to the government to act decisively. another line in here – Royal Camp perhaps?”

NSW Nature Conservation Council CEO Kate Smolski said:

“If nothing changes, the list of animal and plant species facing extinction in NSW is on track to reach 1000 by 2020. Even a species as iconic and beloved as the koala is at great risk of extinction in parts of the state, including on the North Coast, if urgent action is not taken to reduce threats to its survival.

“I call on the state’s leading political parties to acknowledge the urgency of the threats facing koalas and place an immediate ban on logging in koala habitat. These forests are too precious to lose, and we will fight to make sure future generations have a chance to enjoy intact native forests and iconic species like the koala just as we do today.”

NCC CEO Kate Smolski

The NSW Environmental Protection Authority has fined Forestry Corporation of NSW half a million dollars for breaches since the 2019 NSW bushfires. Either the workplace culture at Forestry Corp is toxic with a total disregard for environment laws, or the concept of logging native timber in state forests is inappropriate and unmanageable … or all the above.