The NSW Nationals have slammed the Minns Labor Government for obliterating the North Coast timber industry, and costing thousands of regional jobs, with no guarantee it will be able to fund or establish the Great Koala National Park (GKNP).
Labor admitted the plan hinges on the approval of a federal carbon project to foot the bill but still imposed a moratorium on harvesting within the 176,000 hectare zone.
NSW Nationals Leader Dugald Saunders said it shows the government’s intention has always been to shut down the industry, whether the park was delivered or not.
“What the Premier and Environment Minister announced this week is nothing more than a phantom project that is destroying the lives of up to 5,500 workers and their families,” Mr Saunders said.
“Through the lack of answers we received in Parliament this week, it’s abundantly clear this government has no plan to pay for the park and hasn’t even thought about the severe ramifications it will have on multiple regional communities and sectors.
“In a coward move, Labor wouldn’t even vote to follow through on its own commitment, regardless of the outcome of the carbon credit scheme, which proves this is far from a done deal.”
Shadow Minister for the North Coast Gurmesh Singh said there’s no clarity on what the future for the region will look like.
“Even the moratorium is extremely misleading, because it indicates the government is leaving things open ended in case its koala park doesn’t come to fruition,” Mr Singh said.
“Labor has put the cart before the horse here, with no solid detail around how any of this will work, yet our communities are the ones being forced to pay the price.”
It was also revealed during Question Time just ten weeks’ worth of support will be given to the 300 workers directly impacted, with no consideration given to any related industries.
Nationals Member for Clarence Richie Williamson said his region will be gutted.
“While Chris Minns and Penny Sharpe have looked after their own jobs, they have laid off thousands of people without a second thought,” Mr Williamson said.
“Since this cruel announcement was made on Father’s Day, Labor has failed to provide any clarity on what the compensation package will look like, and how other impacted jobs and sectors will be supported, which is nothing short of a bitter betrayal.”
The decision will also further exacerbate the housing crisis, wiping out 40 per cent of the state’s future hardwood supply and forcing the price of construction materials through the roof.
Nationals’ Member for Myall Lakes Tanya Thompson said the government has grossly underestimated what will happen when timber mills dry up.
“The timber industry is the backbone of the North Coast and also provides so many of the things we rely on every single day. No timber means no paper, no power poles, no transport pallets, no wooden frames, and nothing to build the homes we so desperately need,” Mrs Thompson said.
“This won’t just cripple inter-generational businesses and families in our communities but it will set off a chain reaction through other industries including building, mining and energy as well.”
The plan also contradicts the Government’s own data, after assessments by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) showed abundant koala populations thriving in state forests that have been selectively harvested for decades.
Nationals’ Member for Oxley, Michael Kemp, said it was a choice based on politics not science.
“This decision completely ignores the fact the NSW timber industry is among the most sustainable and tightly regulated in the world. Unlike the myths by activists, it is the gold standard – renewable, recyclable, and essential in so many ways,” Mr Kemp said.
“Yet what we’re seeing here is Labor bending over backwards to pander to people’s emotions and ignore the science, it’s not based on any kind of evidence or logic and it’s silencing the voices of our regional communities.”
