Labor Candidate for Kiama Katelin McInerney has today welcomed a major milestone in the Minns Labor Government’s election commitment to deliver the Great Koala National Park.

Today, Premier Chris Minns joined Minister for the Environment, Penny Sharpe, Minister for Agriculture Tara Moriarty and Minister for the North Coast Janelle Saffin to announce:

• The proposed boundary for the Great Koala National Park
  
  
• An immediate moratorium on timber harvesting within this proposed boundary
  
  
• A comprehensive worker and industry support package
  
  
• $6m in community and small business supports for the mid-north coast region
  
  
• An additional $60 million to establish the park

Ms McInerney celebrated the announcement as an important step forward in what is a once in a generation commitment to protect the states native animals.

This park will protect over 12,000 koalas, 36,000 Greater Gliders and habitat for over 100 other threatened species.

Under the former Liberal National Government Koalas were on track to become extinct in the wild by 2050 if no action was taken to save them and were listed as ‘endangered’ in 2022.

Further, 54 more species were added to the threatened species list and 47 had their status raised to critically endangered.

The Minns Labor Government has made protection of the state’s natural environment, including the states native animals a priority.

Today’s announcement is the latest in a stream of work from a government who take climate change seriously. This has included:

• Investing $41.2 million to rollout the new charging ports, which will all be powered by renewable energy.
  
  
  • 11 of these charging ports are across the Kiama LGA; 8 are across the Shellharbour LGA, 53 of these chargers are across the Shoalhaven LGA
    
    
• Boosting incentives to make household batteries more accessible and affordable for NSW residents.
  
  
  • Under this scheme 133 batteries have beem installed across Shellharbour LGA; 89 across Kiama LGA and 297 installed across the Shoalhaven LGA
    
    
• Announced the expansion of the state’s container deposit scheme to accept wine and spirit bottles.
  
  
  • This is the most successful recycling scheme in Australia and now even more residents and businesses will benefit from the 10-cent refund for returning a wider range of bottles and containers.

While the Labor Government has been clear on its priorities the Liberals and Nationals remain split on if they support the Great Koala National Park or not.

The Government’s announcement can be found here.

Katelin McInerney, Labor candidate for Kiama said:

It is a terrible thought that without this decisive action my son and kids his age could grow up in a New South Wales without wild koalas.

“We have a responsibility to protect our state’s natural assets for future generations and I’m really proud the Minns Labor Government is delivering this major milestone today.

“While the Liberals and Nationals are fighting amongst themselves over whether or not they support the Great Koala National Park, the Minns Labor Government is getting on with the job of protecting our state’s environment.

“There’s more to do and if I am elected next Saturday, I will be a strong voice in the Government to preserve our natural beauty into the future, starting right here in our beautiful South Coast.”