The government of New South Wales enacted decisive legislation to protect one of its most iconic species.
The Guardian reported that New South Wales Premier Chris Minns is expanding the protected areas in the northeast of the state by 176,000 hectares. The reserves will eventually form the Great Koala National Park, an ambitious plan that aims to create a permanent, safe habitat for approximately 12,000 koalas and several other threatened species.
In the interim, logging activities at the boundaries will be suspended.
Environment Minister Penny Sharpe said the park "has been a dream for more than a decade. It will ensure koalas survive into the future so our grandchildren will still be able to see them in the wild."
The International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List has classed koalas as "vulnerable." They have suffered from disease and wildfires, but the most significant cause of their population decline is extensive habitat destruction from logging and housing developments. They are wholly dependent on eucalyptus trees for their survival.
As one of the few species capable of ingesting the tree's leaves, koalas play a critical role in the forest's ecosystem. They have to consume vast quantities of food, about 10% of their bodyweight daily, because eucalyptus leaves have so little nutritional value.
Koalas help cycle nutrients and prevent excess dried leaves that pose a wildfire risk from falling to the floor. As the International Fund for Animal Welfare noted, eucalyptus trees are highly efficient for sequestering carbon, so the koala plays an outsized — albeit indirect — role in curbing the effects of planet-heating pollution.
When completed, the Great Koala National Park will encompass a total connected area of 475,000 hectares. Koalas will be the star of the show, but the park will also provide a haven for greater gliders, glossy black cockatoos, and dozens of threatened plants. It represents a bold step forward for conservation and was made possible by the tireless advocacy of local activists.
The willingness of the New South Wales government to back the venture highlights the importance of backing pro-climate candidates.
In a press release, Australia's Wilderness Society hailed the move as a "once-in-a-generation decision" to give koalas a lifeline.
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"Conservation wins don't get much bigger than this," Victoria Jack, NSW campaigns manager for the Wilderness Society, said. "This historic announcement will give koalas a fighting chance for a future."
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