"The Minns government on Sunday revealed the proposed outlines of the park, fulfilling its 2023 election commitment. It will reserve 176,000 hectares (435,000 acres) of state forest and connect with existing national parks to create a 476,000-hectare reserve to protect more than 12,000 koalas in the state's north. A moratorium on logging within its boundaries begins on Monday. The announcement was widely welcomed by forest advocates. The Wilderness Society called it a once-in-a-generation decision that would give the state's koalas a real chance of survival."
"The opposition leader, Mark Speakman has hedged his party's support, saying while he supports the ambition of protecting koalas, he was concerned about job losses and the cost of the park. But Dugald Saunders, the NSW Nationals leader, was more strident, attacking the timing of the decision as appalling and claiming the livelihoods of entire regional towns would be obliterated overnight."
The Minns government revealed plans for a Great Koala National Park that will reserve 176,000 hectares of state forest and connect with existing parks to form a 476,000-hectare reserve protecting more than 12,000 koalas. A moratorium on logging within the park boundaries begins immediately. Environmental groups praised the decision as vital for koala survival and other threatened species. Opposition figures expressed mixed reactions, citing concerns about job losses, costs and regional impacts. The government highlighted the park's role in preventing koala extinction by 2050 and its potential as an iconic tourist destination.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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