Legislation to create the Great Koala National Park has been introduced to NSW Parliament. The Government says the Bill adds more than 178,000 hectares of state forest and Crown land on the Mid North Coast, protecting habitat for an estimated 12,000 koalas. Thirteen per cent of the added land will be regional park, allowing activities such as bushwalking, camping and mountain-biking. Conservation groups welcomed the move but want more consultation and scientific assessment. Timber industry representatives and North Coast Nationals MPs raised concerns, including whether carbon credit arrangements were tied to the park's creation.
Sandalwood producers in Western Australia say the government has not clearly explained what will replace the current harvesting order, which expires at the end of this year. The order allows 2,500 tonnes of wild sandalwood to be harvested each year. A proposed shift of oversight from the Forest Products Commission to the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions has left harvesters and exporters uncertain about future investment. Premier Roger Cook says the government is consulting widely. Some producers, including oil maker Dutjahn, say the transition has been expected and that the industry has had time to prepare.
Young protesters blocked Bellingen's main street on Wednesday 7 October, stopping a logging truck on Hyde Street. The action coincided with the opening of the 2026 National Forestry Symposium in Canberra, where officials and organisations discussed social licence within the forestry industry. Protesters sat down beneath the vehicle, holding up traffic for about 15 minutes as a crowd gathered. A spokesperson said forests on Gumbaynggirr Country were being felled without consent from Gumbaynggirr Elders. The group also alleged that corruption was worsening climate change and the loss of endangered species.
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A koala named Ben was euthanised after being found in an active logging area with severe injuries, including abdominal bleeding, fractured ribs, and brain trauma. Friends of Pine Creek (FOPC) question why the koala was taken to Port Macquarie instead of local vets. They allege the injuries suggest the koala fell from a tree during clearfell harvesting, contradicting Forestry Corporation NSW's statement that the animal had no visible injuries apart from chlamydia. FOPC claims logging in critical koala habitat is lethal for the animals.
