Map of the proposed protected area. Shows conservation values within existing protected areas (yellow), Friends Reserve (red border), and national forests. Source: New South Wales Government data. Credit: International Journal of Social Quality (2024). DOI: 10.3167/IJSQ.2023.130104
A team of conservation and policy researchers has called for urgent remediation of logging loopholes in the proposed Great Koala National Park to stem the tide of harmful consequences affecting koala populations in south-eastern Australia.
A new report published in the International Journal of Social Quality, led by Timothy Cadman, non-resident senior research fellow at the Institute of Ethics, Governance and Law at Griffith University, excludes key koala habitat from logging within the proposed park. He emphasized that doing so is inconsistent with efforts to protect koalas.
Dr Cadman said the plan must also take into account the integrity of the wider protected area habitat system and give it the necessary World Heritage status.
The Great Koala National Park will cover 300,000 hectares of national forest and existing national parks from Grafton to Kempsey in northern New South Wales.
The park, which would serve as a safe haven for East Coast koalas affected by bushfires, development and logging, was proposed more than a decade ago and was implemented by the current NSW Labor government. Moved to.
However, Dr Cadman said the loophole that allows logging to continue in plantation areas is inconsistent with the overall purpose of the park proposal.
“The creation of parks, including forests, poses a permanent threat to koalas. Koalas live in their best habitat and could end up being captured in logging areas,” he said.
“There is growing pressure on successive governments to take decisive action to protect these iconic creatures from further decline, but the current proposals could actually make the situation worse.
“We need an integrated approach to protecting koalas at a landscape level, which is essential in the face of increasing environmental threats from population growth and climate change.”
Dr Cadman said existing natural and planted forests represent a diverse mix of eucalyptus and rainforest species, as well as a mosaic of forest age classes and interconnected habitats, which contributes to the development of parks. It added that this was vital to the health of the koalas and their ability to survive.
“We need to consider the integrity of the proposed park and the best way to ensure that is as a World Heritage Site. We cannot create a park full of holes,” he said.
“Assessments that focus on the habitat that koalas live in are vital to the integrity and viability of the Great Koala National Park. We must think like koalas. If you don’t differentiate between a farm or a farm, then neither should we.
“The time to act is now. Protecting koalas requires a concerted government effort to support Indigenous communities and local people through job creation and sustainable infrastructure development. If we want the park to be a success, Culture is just as important as nature.”
“By establishing high-impact national parks and prioritizing habitat protection, we can ensure a future where koalas thrive in their natural environment.”
Further information: Tim Cadman et al., “Koalas, climate, conservation, and communities”, The International Journal of Social Quality (2024). DOI: 10.3167/IJSQ.2023.130104
Provided by Griffith University
Citation: Proposed logging loophole remedy in Great Koala National Park urgently needed (23 April 2024) https://phys.org/news/2024-04-urgent-loophole-remedy-great Retrieved April 23, 2024 from -koala.html
This document is subject to copyright. No part may be reproduced without written permission, except in fair dealing for personal study or research purposes. Content is provided for informational purposes only.
