James Griffin MP
Member for Manly
Shadow Minister for Environment
NSW Liberal Shadow Minister for the Environment, James Griffin MP, has slammed the Minns Labor Government for announcing the Great Koala National Park (GKNP) without any concrete details or legislation to back it up.
"After two and a half years of delay and inaction, all this Labor Government can produce is a media statement. No legislation, no details, no explanation of funding, and no certainty," Mr Griffin said.
"To make such a significant announcement whilst providing almost no detail is deeply disappointing. It is more than reasonable and fair to ask, why announce something but have no legislation to back it up?."
Concerningly, the Minns Labor Government has revealed that the final creation of the proposed park is dependent on the successful registration of a carbon project under the Improved Native Forest Management (INFM) Method, which is currently under review by the Federal Government.
Yesterday, NSW Premier Chris Minns conceded that while he expects the Federal Government to 'come through', this is ultimately a decision outside of his control, stating that the NSW Government will have to look at ways of creating the Great Koala National Park based on the Federal Government's decision.
"There is a total absence of legislation and funding details and a government apparently hedging its bets, and the hopes of conservation groups, on approval from the Federal Government," Mr Griffin said.
"That means the very shape of the legislation, and even whether it proceeds at all, will be determined not in NSW, but in Canberra."
If the Federal Government refuses to provide carbon credits, serious questions arise about how the legislation and plans for the GKNP will change, including whether the proposed boundaries will be altered. Until the Minns Labor Government provides the necessary details and introduces clear legislation to back up this announcement, the NSW Liberals will continue to hold Premier Chris Minns to account.
The Former Coalition Government had a proud and strong record on Koala conservation, which included establishing the updated NSW Koala Strategy, which delivered $190 million over five years to support the overarching goal of doubling NSW's koala numbers by 2050. As part of this, the former NSW Coalition committed:
- $107.1 million to fund the protection, restoration and improved management of 47,000 hectares of koala habitat, to meet key conservation targets of 22,000 ha of koala habitat protected and 25,000 ha of koala habitat restored by 2026.
- $19.6 million to fund partnerships across NSW
- $23.2 million to remove threats, improve health and rehabilitation, and establish a translocation program
- $43.4 million to fill knowledge gaps and better understand NSW koala populations
Under this Labor Government, those key targets are not being met, with the 2023-24 NSW Koala Strategy Annual Report released in August last month revealing that only 8,353 hectares of koala habitat had been restored.
If protecting koalas were genuinely a priority, Chris Minns would have legislated the park immediately and backed the NSW Koala Strategy with real funding. Instead, we're left with a hollow announcement, no legislation, and a plan that depends on Canberra's say-so," Mr Griffin said.
