A stop to logging and boundary outlines: What’s next for the Great Koala National Park?

📢 What's the update? On Sunday, National Threatened Species Day, the NSW Government announced the proposed boundary of the Great Koala National Park (GKNP), alongside a plan the government said would support impacted timber workers, and a pledge of additional funding to establish the park.

The GKNP was a Labor Party election promise, and Labor has been in power since 2023.

🗺️ The proposed boundaries: The Labor government confirmed the park will reserve 176,000 hectares of state forest.

Including existing national parks, the park’s creation will reserve 476,000-hectare of bushland.

Without action, koalas are on track to be extinct in the wild in NSW by 2050.

“Koalas are at risk of extinction in the wild in NSW – that’s unthinkable. The Great Koala National Park is about turning that around,” NSW Premier Chris Minns said in a statement.

The NSW government said the park will protect more than 12,000 koalas, 36,000 Greater Gliders and habitat for over 100 other threatened species.

🪵What’s happening with the timber industry? The government has imposed a temporary moratorium effective Monday (8 September 2025) on timber harvesting within the proposed park boundary.

According to the NSW government, the suspension of harvesting will impact six timber mills in the region – approximately 300 jobs.

💰What about job support? The government announced assistance for impacted workers and businesses, including JobKeeper-style payments to cover salaries, and financial assistance towards business operating costs.

Workers and their families will also have immediate free access to mental health, financial and legal counselling services and training support.

💵 Further funding announced: The NSW Government has committed $6 million toward new opportunities for tourism and small businesses on the Mid North Coast.

An additional $60 million in funding has been announced for the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) to support the establishment of the park. This is in addition to the $80 million announced in 2023.

📋 What’s next? The final creation of the park is dependent on the successful registration of a carbon project under the Improved Native Forest Management Method, which is currently moving through the Federal Government assessment processes.

The government said it did not intend for the park to end forestry on the North Coast.

The Independent Forestry Panel is continuing to provide advice to the government to inform the Forestry Industry Action Plan.

Thumbnail: Koalas (L) Bindarri National Park aerial view close up (R). Supplied NSW Government.