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Best of 2025 - Koalas, carbon credits and the fine print of conservation

11 0
08.01.2026

We congratulate the NSW Government for establishing the Great Koala National Park, which will protect a nationally significant koala population.

A repost from 26 September 2025.

We also acknowledge the government’s moratorium on logging in ~175 000 hectares of state forest that will be added to the network of national parks in NSW. This area contains high-quality koala habitat, old-growth forest critical for many threatened and endangered species, and provides vital connection between forest habitats in the region.

However, as they say: “Every silver lining has its cloud”. In this case, the government has stated that establishment the Great Koala National Park is conditional. Documents relating to the decision specify: “The final creation of the park is dependent on the successful registration of a carbon project under the Improved Native Forest Management Method, which is currently moving through the Federal Government assessment processes.” This caveat raises several concerns.

A central issue is that there is no guarantee the proposed Improved Native Forest Management Method will be approved, or approved in its current form. The INFM Method is being assessed by the Emissions Reduction Assurance Committee, which advises the federal environment minister on whether the method meets legislated

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