Statement from Minister for the Environment, Penny Sharpe:
I welcome the Senate's endorsement of the Improved Native Forest Management method (INFM) under the Australian Carbon Credit Unit (ACCU) Scheme. The passing of this method through the Federal Parliament is an essential step towards establishing one of the most significant conservation projects in Australia's history.
The Great Koala National Park is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create a park to protect the iconic koala. It will be the second largest park in NSW conserving over 475,000 hectares of native forest and existing reserves. When established, it will protect more than 100 threatened species, including 12,000 koalas and 36,000 greater gliders.
This park will be a world-class tourist destination. It will boost local tourism and the economy. For the first time in NSW, the park will have Aboriginal rangers employed by Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations, embedding cultural knowledge and care at the heart of park management.
No fossil fuel companies will be able to purchase INFM credits generated in NSW. ACCUs will be prioritised for NSW manufacturing industries that are critical to our economy.
Upon approval from the Clean Energy Regulator, the Minns Labor Government will introduce the necessary legislation to the NSW Parliament as soon as possible.
The development of this method has been three years in the making. It has been supported by the leading conservation organisations in NSW, including Nature Conservation Council of NSW, North East Forest Alliance, National Parks Association of NSW, World Wildlife Fund, Australian Climate and Biodiversity Foundation, Greenpeace and the GKNP Aboriginal Advisory Panel. I thank them for their input throughout this process.
I also welcome the NSW Greens' support and thank all those who have engaged constructively to strengthen this method.
Today is an important milestone to protect koalas in the wild.
