Photo Essay: Great Koala National Park is Being Decimated by the Australian Government; Global Conservation Steps In
Photography by Paul Hilton
Edited by Joshua Asel
“…Everyone I spoke to had no idea it was actually happening. At that point I knew we had to highlight the situation to help bring support to the koala and its habitat.”
- Paul Hilton
Koalas receive health checks at the Endeavour Veterinary Ecology clinic (EVE), Queensland, Australia. EVE takes in koalas for a variety of reasons, including those who’ve been injured in the process of escaping deforestation.
Koalas, one of the most iconic animals in the world, is now Endangered.
Once numbering in the millions across the country, today, fewer than 36,000 koalas remain in the wild. Sadly, koalas are now officially declared endangered and facing a real threat of extinction. Australia has one of the highest rates of deforestation in the world due to land clearing for beef production, unregulated urban development, and native forest logging, which places Australia as one of the fastest rates of biodiversity loss across the world.
Over the last 20 years, the koala population has fell by a third due to poaching, mostly due to 80% of their habitat being lost. During the 2019-2020 fires in Australia that killed an estimated 500 million wild animals, the Koala population was again reduced by another third, and killed over 70% of the remaining koalas on the North Coast, bringing the total population down to what it is today.
The Great Kolala National Park contains the last favorable habitat in Australia for koalas. There’s just one problem with this geographical designation, GKNP isn’t actually a National Park… yet.
Logging with Perverse Incentive
In Australia, timber companies have priority to harvest wood, even in Australia's state parks, though not normally on such a massive scale. While responsible logging methods are more typical, in technically unprotected regions, such as the proposed GKNP area, logging companies are exploiting the situation to conduct extensive clear-cutting without concern for consequences. In fact, the Australian government actively encourages them to maximize their yield.
Despite the NSW Government's election vow to set the land aside for protection, an investigative video examination by the Australia Institute revealed that taxpayer-sponsored native forest cutting is destroying hundreds of hectares of the future Great Koala National Park each week. Meaning that, largely unknown to them, taxpayers have been paying for the destruction of forests and subsequent deaths of native wildlife.
The New South Wales Government intends to capitalize on the Great Koala National Park by utilizing carbon credits. The pursuit of carbon credits is generating a perverse incentive to persist in logging, enabling the Government to assert that the proposed credits constitute authentic "avoided deforestation."
The cost is an untold number of wild lives, including hundreds of protected species.
Rescued koalas are brought into sanctuaries and wildlife hospitals that specialize in marsupial rescue, rehabilitation, and release.
Numbers Don’t Lie
According to the Great Koala National Park’s official website, “It’s a plan to connect 175,000 hectares of publicly-owned state forests to existing National Parks, creating a 315,000 hectare nature reserve in the Coffs Coast Region and giving endangered species, like koalas, a safe place to live.”
The GKNP is also home to more than 150 Threatened species, including the greater glider.
A koala found within the proposed national park boundary.
Public native forest logging in New South Whales makes an annual $10-20 million loss and is propped up from the NSW public purse each year.
And according to a University of Newcastle report (2021), over a 15 year period, the GKNP would create 9,800 regional jobs generating $330m in wages and $273m in capital and operating expenditure. It would also generate $412 million in tourism spending.
So it begs the questions, why is prioritization given to logging instead of park tourism, which greatly benefits communities financially in the surrounding areas?
Global Conservation Partners with Wilderness Australia to Save Koalas and Reduce Logging
You may already know that Global Conservation works all around the world in developing countries to protect wild lands and the species found within them. This time, GC sees another opportunity to help during this dire situation in a developed country.
A multiyear commitment by Executive Director Jeff Morgan of GC was made to Wilderness Australia. The funding provided by Global Conservation is having an impact that is stretching beyond WA’s initial expectations of what could be achieved in this first phase of the project. They have been successful in advancing efforts to save the Koala by publicly elevating the urgent need to halt the intensification of logging inside the proposed Great Koala National Park and building political will to secure protections for not only native forests within the proposed park, but all areas of native forests threatened by logging in New South Wales.
Amidst this environmental crisis, a grassroots movement in New South Wales is striving to protect one of the world's most vital Koala habitats on Earth by advocating for the establishment of the Great Koala National Park. The future of koalas depends on taking immediate action to protect their forest home.
Internationally-renowned photojournalist Paul Hilton visually takes us to Great Koala National Park in Australia, his own backyard, to uncover this story.
As the trees come down, of course, so does one of the most iconic animals in the entire world, the Koala. Paul’s images show what the government and logging companies don't want you to see, along with showcasing the prominent efforts of caring groups of people to stop this.
Paul Hilton Interviews:
GC:
This devastation is happening in your native homeland of Australia. When you first heard wind of this, was your project to save the native wildlife and forests something you knew you had to do?
Paul:
After witnessing this play out across the world in many developing countries, I just couldn't understand why Australia was doing such a bad job at managing our native forests, and at the same time, everyone I spoke to had no idea it was actually happening. At that point, I knew we had to highlight the situation to help bring support to the koala and its habitat.
Concerned locals and conservation organizations alike fight on the frontlines of the deforestation to halt the clear cutting in real time.
GC:
”Is there a movement in the government or with the greater general public to stop the deforestation, especially considering it's happening at the expense of the taxpayers' money?”
Paul:
”Yes, there is a growing movement in Australia focused on stopping deforestation and selective logging of native forests. Many environmental groups, Indigenous organizations, and community activists are advocating for stronger protections for native forests, citing concerns about biodiversity loss, climate change, and the economic implications of logging practices funded by taxpayers.”
“Public sentiment has been increasingly leaning towards conservation, especially as awareness of the ecological impacts of logging has grown. Some state governments have begun to implement policies aimed at reducing logging in sensitive areas and increasing protected forest reserves.
Additionally, there are ongoing campaigns urging the federal government to reform logging practices and transition to more sustainable land management approaches. These efforts are often driven by grassroots activism, community engagement, and collaboration with scientists and conservationists.
However, the issue remains contentious, with some stakeholders arguing for the economic benefits of logging, which complicates the path toward widespread policy change.”
A rescuer releases a healthy koala back into a relatively safe area in the wild.
Rescued and released koalas get ear tags, which helps researchers understand population viability and changes with each individual released.
GC:
”It seems like it would make more sense to make money from tourism for one of the most iconic wild animals on Earth. Why do you think Australia is focused on killing native wildlife instead of promoting them?”
Paul:
”Sadly, the Australian public seems to think it's somebody else's job to save and protect wild places.
Short-term economic interests from industries like agriculture and logging sometimes take precedence over long-term benefits from eco-tourism and wildlife conservation. This can lead to policies that prioritize immediate financial gain over sustainable practices. While there is a growing movement for wildlife conservation, it competes with well-established industries that may resist change. Increased public advocacy and awareness are crucial to shifting perspectives toward more sustainable practices.”
GC:
”Australia already has one of the most notoriously hot climates anywhere in the world, which means that the situation is only exacerbated by the felling of entire forests, causing even hotter climates for Australian people and wildlife, to say the least. No matter how one looks at the current situation, it seems easy to see there is a total lack of practical wisdom coming out of the Australian government regarding this subject matter."
Paul:
”Logging has a significant impact on Australia’s climate and biodiversity. The increasing intensity of heatwaves, droughts, and other climate-related events in Australia is indeed exacerbated by the loss of forests, which play a crucial role in regulating temperature and maintaining ecosystems.
Great forests are reduced to nothing more than shavings that are used for things like paper towels, storage pallets, cheap furniture, and the like.
“The disconnect between environmental science and policy can be frustrating. Many experts advocate for sustainable land management practices that prioritize conservation and restoration, but these ideas often clash with entrenched economic interests and political considerations.
There’s also a growing recognition of the need for more holistic approaches that incorporate Indigenous knowledge and land management practices, which historically have shown resilience in the face of climate challenges.”
Baby koalas are also regularly taken in to rescue centers.
Paul concludes, “Public pressure and advocacy can drive change, and as awareness of these issues continues to rise, there’s potential for more effective and environmentally sound policies. The shift may take time, but ongoing dialogue and activism are vital for fostering practical wisdom in government decision-making.”
Watch Paul Hilton’s New Documentary Now:
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