‘Overwhelming’ support from local residents for big new koala park

Establishing a Great Koala National Park in northern NSW has the “overwhelming support” of those living closest to the area, new polling has revealed.

The park, which aims to permanently preserve prime koala habitat*, was an election pledge of Labor Premier Chris Minns and the project was promised $80 million over four years in last year’s state budget.

New figures by Pyxis Polling show that up to 73 per cent of people in the three local government areas bordering the park support its establishment.

In Coffs Harbour, home of the Big Banana, 70 per cent of respondents said they supported the proposed koala park, while in Port Macquarie 73 per cent did the same, and 64 per cent were in favour in Oxley.

Australian Climate and Biodiversity* Foundation executive director Lyndon Schneiders said the polling exposed the “false conflict” about support for natural preservation*.

“It’s often said by those that support the status quo* and who are advocates* for native forest logging* that the only people that support environmental outcomes are people living in the cities,” he said.

“I think what’s really important about this poll is it confirms … that the folks that actually live in the forestry areas know that something has changed and support the environment as much as people do in the city.”

The final size of the park, which could be up to 176,000 hectares, is yet to be determined, with ecologists* frustrated by slow progress and continued logging in the state forests.

According to the poll, support for the national park was particularly high among women and younger voters.

In Port Macquarie, 81 per cent of women supported the establishment of the Great Koala National Park compared to 64 per cent of men.

Critically, approval also crossed party lines, with almost 50 per cent of National voters in Coffs Harbour and Oxley voicing their support.

“When we see support crossing political lines, it demonstrates just how much the community values koalas and their habitat,” Mr Schneiders said.

“Voters understand native forests are worth more to the region if they’re protected and preserved, rather than chopped down for low-value products exported overseas.”

He described the recent by-election in Port Macquarie as a “referendum*” on the park, not because of the result but because neither conservative candidate had mentioned it.

“This poll tells us those folks (in the regions) have seen the change,” he said.

“If you live in this part of the north coast, you live there because of the gorgeous beaches. You live there because of the forest, the wildlife.

“What people in these regions have seen over the past 20 years is the disappearance of animals such as the koala.

“Both sides of conservative politics know the community wants to protect the environment.

“Neither of the major parties that were contesting that by-election wanted to make this a polarising* issue”.

The NSW government is expected to soon determine the final size of the park, following a “comprehensive assessment and engagement process”.

Mr Schneiders said activists* had anticipated that it would be decided before Christmas 2024, and called on the Premier and to “give some direction”.

“All the detailed work, the modelling, the economic assessments, the environmental surveys, are in,” he said.

“So we’re really waiting for the NSW cabinet to make a final decision, and we hope that’s going to be imminent*”.

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POLL

GLOSSARY

• habitat: the natural environment in which an animal or plant usually lives
• biodiversity: the different living things within an ecosystem or particular environment
• preservation: the act of keeping something the same or stopping it from being damaged or destroyed
• status quo: the way things are now, the existing conditions or state of affairs
• advocates: public supporters of an idea, development, or way of doing something
• logging: cutting down trees to use their wood
• ecologists: scientists who study the natural relationships between air, land, water, animals, plants
• polarising: something that divides people into two completely opposing groups
• referendum: when a question is decided by putting it to a public vote
• activists: people who publicly campaign for political, social, environmental etc change
• imminent: happening very soon, in the immediate future

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QUICK QUIZ

1. What is the new koala sanctuary due to be called?
2. How much money has NSW Premier Chris Minns committed to the park’s creation?
3. Which three local government areas took part in the poll?
4. The park could be up to many hectares in size?
5. What proportion of female respondents in Port Macquarie were in favour of establishing the permanent koala habitat?

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CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Koala habitat
Create a poster or display that shows an ideal koala habitat. Provide labels and descriptions of the features of the habitat and explains why these features are important to sustain the life of a koala.

Time: allow 30 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Science

2. Extension
Create a graph to display some of the polling results detailed in the news story. Choose a graph type that you think will best communicate the overwhelming support for the Great Koala National Park. Ensure your graph includes labels so that the data can be easily and accurately understood.

Time: allow 30 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Mathematics

VCOP ACTIVITY
Read with Kung Fu punctuation
Pair up with the article between you and stand up to make it easy to demonstrate your Kung Fu punctuation.

Practise reading one sentence at a time. Now read it again, while acting out the punctuation as you read.

Read and act three sentences before swapping with your partner.

Take two turns each.

Now ask your partner to read a sentence out loud while you try and act out the punctuation. Can you keep up? Swap over?

Try acting out two sentences – are you laughing yet?