Australia's New South Wales passes legislation to protect about 12,000 koalas

China News Service, Sydney, October 23 (Reporter Bo Wenwen) The Australian New South Wales government announced on the 23rd that the bill to establish the Great Koala National Park has been passed by the state parliament, and the park is expected to open before the end of the year.

According to the bill, a total of 178,000 hectares of forestland and land will be included in the national park system, and together with existing protected areas will form the Great Koala National Park with a total area of ​​more than 475,000 hectares. The newly protected areas are home to approximately 12,000 koalas and more than 100 other threatened species.

According to the New South Wales government, the park, located on the mid-north coast of New South Wales, will continue to be open for activities such as camping, canoeing and mountain biking, which is expected to drive the development of local tourism and related businesses.

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation reports that the park will become the second largest national park in New South Wales, marking important progress in a conservation initiative that has lasted for more than ten years. New South Wales Environment Minister Penny Sharp said that protecting these forests will not only protect the home of koalas and many threatened species, but also allow future generations to appreciate the natural beauty here.

However, the establishment of the Great Koala National Park has also raised concerns about employment in the local logging industry. The NSW government last year suspended logging activities in the proposed park area. The report quoted industry representatives as saying that this measure has had an impact on wood processing, transportation and other industries. NSW Minister for Agriculture and Regional Affairs Tara Moriarty said the government would provide financial assistance and retraining, as well as a pathway to job transfer for eligible logging industry workers.