KoaLaMan hits the road to find a home

DO not be alarmed if you encounter a large koala with a blue head trudging along the road to Sydney – it is simply “KoaLaMan looking for a home”.

The 550km, 30-day walk from the “Happy Frog” in Coffs Harbour to Parliament House in Sydney, is the latest in Peter Elzer’s efforts to halt logging of koala habitat.

He leaves on Saturday morning at 9am and aims to be at Macquarie Street by 20 August.

KoaLaMan will be lugging a 25kg pack containing the food and equipment needed for self sufficiency on the road, although generosity from well wishers along the way will be appreciated.

He expects to have some company for parts of the journey but does not want to endanger others when he is on the freeway.

Day one will be the most arduous, 26km to Urunga, while others will be more “leisurely”.

Mr Elzer said his walk is symbolic because the public has been locked out of Orara East State Forest.

He said, “There is a koala hub in the forest and everything around it is being logged.”

“I haven’t got many options, so I am going down to Sydney to ask Chris Minns, ‘where is our Great Koala National Park (GKNP)’, which was promised two and a half years ago?”

“They are doing the exact opposite [and] logging the park.

“It’s not only koalas, but all the other threatened native species as well.”

Mr Elzer said that during his recent 12-day hunger strike, he spoke to a number of politicians,

He said he received a positive response from Greens members, but only “hollow promises” from others.

“The average person in towns and cities still sees a lot of trees and thinks everything is okay, but scientists are sounding the alarm on a daily basis.

“If we don’t change our forestry practices many of our animals will become extinct.

“It’s time for the Government to deliver on its promises and go even further and end native forest logging.”

By Andrew VIVIAN