The NSW Government has failed to accurately count Koalas when it needs that basic data to design the proposed Great Koala National Park. That is according to Forest and Wood Communities Australia (FWCA) – the group representing timber towns has now called for the process to be delayed until reliable, accurate data on Koala numbers is known.
According to Executive Officer Steve Dobbyns, a veteran forest scientist, the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water has managed to let down both the Premier and communities across the State by grossly exaggerating the number of koalas within some “koala hubs”, by using a count of scats (koala poo) found during surveys, instead of actual koalas.
“That is the quality of maths and science being used by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water to provide advice to the Minn’s Government about the number of Koalas currently living in parts of the proposed Great Koala National Park.”
“The Department has managed to let down both the Premier and communities across the State by grossly exaggerating the number of koalas through using old data about the number of scats counted, instead of actual koalas.”
Steve Dobbyns – a veteran forest scientist and Executive Officer of Forest and Wood Communities Australia.
“Koala densities within the hubs have been massively inflated.
“While the NSW Government describes koala hubs as “areas where there is strong evidence of multi-generational, high-density populations” of koalas, there has been no published, peer-reviewed, academic literature on “koala hubs” or their significance to koalas.”
“A close look at the data shows that numerous koala sightings within the koala hubs show impossibly high numbers of koalas, literally hundreds of koalas recorded at each site, because the Environment department has not vetted the data”.
“With more than 8900 jobs and $2.9 billion injected into our economy each year from our sustainable native forest industry in NSW, it is critical for our State’s future prosperity that the Minns Government makes its decision on the Great Koala National Park based on credible, up to date information.”
- Please note: Wood Central does not take an editorial position when it comes to the NSW Great Koala National Park and the supply of hardwood. It will however from time to time publish content that it deems to be in the public interest and fact checks all content before publishing.
