NSW parliament has approved plans for the Great Koala National Park, which will cover 476,000 hectares on the state's mid-north coast. The park aims to protect more than 12,000 koalas living in the region. Its creation depended on the registration of a carbon credits scheme, which the Clean Energy Regulator confirmed this week. Conservation groups welcomed the decision, although the Bob Brown Foundation said many forests had been left out and that it wants a park free of logging and car racing.
The New South Wales government has established the state's second-largest national park, the Great Koala National Park, after more than 14 hours of debate in the Legislative Council. The park will cover 478,000 hectares between Kempsey and Grafton on the Mid North Coast. Environment Minister Penny Sharpe said it would protect more than 100 species of flora and fauna. Conservationist Ashley Love said he would keep pushing for more surrounding forest to be protected. Logging has been halted in the area, and the federal Clean Energy Regulator has registered the project for carbon credits.
A Toormina reader has written in support of Coffs Council's decision to rescind its declared climate emergency for the local government area. Richie Tassicker praised Mayor Nikki Williams for her leadership on the issue. He argued the 2022 declaration was misguided and that climate change is closely tied to overpopulation. Tassicker also criticised spending ratepayers' money on carbon credits and Scope 3 requirements, which he said burden struggling businesses.
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A Coffs Harbour resident has threatened to withhold council rates in protest against $2.5 million allocated to climate change initiatives. The letter writer argues the funds are wasted on what they call 'pie-in-the-sky ideology' and claims climate change efforts are ineffective. They also criticise carbon credit systems as abstract and unverifiable. The council has not yet responded to the letter.
