The NSW Nationals have warned the creation of Labor’s Great Koala National Park could leave regional communities at higher risk of catastrophic bushfires.
Adding an additional 176,000 hectares of unmanaged forests will provide more fodder for fires to feed on, while shutting down the timber industry will reduce frontline resources to respond in an emergency.
NSW Nationals Leader Dugald Saunders said the combination of factors will create a very dangerous situation.
“Our timber workers are the unsung heroes when it comes to the bushfire season, often quickly deployed to operate heavy machinery and change the direction of a fire or stop it in its tracks,” Mr Saunders said.
“Sometimes that means moving soil to create a firebreak or harvesting trees to prevent a blaze from spreading further, which provides critical protection to people’s lives and properties.
“The Minns Labor Government’s Great Koala National Park announcement means this vital contingent won’t be around to act, because their crews have been stood down, their livelihoods taken away and their businesses closed overnight.”
Shadow Minister for Emergency Services, Gurmesh Singh, said the koala park could also make it harder to reach a fire when it breaks.
“Creating an extra 176,000 hectares of national park will allow forests to become overgrown and fire trails will not be managed to the same level, exponentially increasing the risk of destructive fires,” Mr Singh said.
“This is yet another example of Labor severely underestimating the impact of its decisions and how it will affect our communities.
“Not only will the moratorium mean there are no timber workers in the forests ready to respond at any moment, but it will severely diminish our capacity to bring things under control, especially if the machinery we rely on is no longer maintained or being sold off.”
