WHILE most local conservationists have been filled with optimism after the announcement of the Great Kola National Park (GKNP), others are dismayed that Tuckers Nob State Forest near Coffs Harbour was excluded.
Central Queensland University (CQU) research shows that an area set to be logged in the next 12 months contained at least 25 koala records.
The area is not covered by the government’s temporary logging moratorium prompting calls for its reclassification from plantation to koala habitat.
A spokesperson for Forestry Corporation NSW, said there are no current operations in Tuckers Nob State Forest and it does not expect to commence operations this year.
She said a unique and special wildlife values assessment had been completed in that timber plantation and operators would be required to inspect every tree before felling.
Researchers from CQU and Griffith University collaborated with conservation organisations and citizen scientists, to survey more than 142 hectares zoned as plantation.
The survey revealed clear signs of koala activity, including scat evidence or thermal drone imagery for at least 25 koala records.
CQU’s Dr Rolf Schlagloth said, “These aren’t just plantations; they’re home to one of Australia’s most iconic and endangered animals.
“We’ve shown remnants of original forest exist within these zones and are actively used by koalas.”
Using historical aerial photography, mapping tools such as SIX Maps and Google Earth Pro, and modern drone-mounted thermal imaging, the team pinpointed critical areas of undisturbed habitat within the plantation.
Dr Schlagloth said excluding areas such as the Tuckers Nob study site from the proposed GKNP footprint for the sake of logging was both “short-sighted and inconsistent with current conservation strategies”.
The authors of the study argued all high-value koala habitat – regardless of zoning – must be protected, and future conservation efforts must treat the integrity of the entire reserve system as paramount.
They have called for the Great Koala National Park to be designated as a World Heritage site to secure its future long-term.
By Andrew VIVIAN
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