Logging has been immediately halted in parts of NSW’s Mid North Coast as the NSW Government begins consultation on its proposed ‘Great Koala National Park’. The park was an election promise of Labor’s, and now they are pursuing a plan to protect 300,000 hectares – stretching from Kempsey to Coffs Harbour and home to 20% of the state’s wild koala population – from logging. Koalas are an endangered species in Queensland, NSW and the ACT, and a NSW parliamentary inquiry from 2020 found the fuzzy marsupials are on track to become extinct in NSW before 2050 if land clearing in critical areas continues. NSW Environment Minister Penny Sharpe said the government will consult with stakeholders to determine the proposed park’s impact on koala populations and timber industry jobs. Environmental groups called the latest decision a big win, and forestry groups welcomed the consultation process, saying the hardwood timber industry was a key contributor to the state’s economy.