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Scientists finally speak out as Labor removes gag on koalas and forestry: Kemp

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The Hon. Michael Kemp, Member for Oxley, Media Release, 12 January 2025

Labor Government’s Environment Minister Penny Sharp’s tenuous grip on scientific truth has finally been broken. Now allowing real, scientific based research to reveal what political agendas have long suppressed in the fight over koala populations and sustainable forestry in NSW.  

Dr. Bradley Law, the NSW Government’s own Principal Research Scientist has presented findings that challenge decades of political ideology, proving that sustainable forestry and koala conservation can co-exist. 

NSW Native Forests Protect them or lose them cover shot

Screenshot from video on TimberNSW Facebook page.

“The Minns Labor Government has long pandered to ideological interests rather than following the facts. Now that the real experts are being heard, it’s clear their scare tactics were nothing more than politically driven nonsense,” Michael Kemp, Member for Oxley said. 

“For years, an anti-forestry agenda has been pushed, ignoring evidence and stifling progress. This research finally gives us the facts: sustainable forestry is not the enemy of koalas, urban encroachment, extreme fire and disease is,” Kemp said.  

Dr. Law’s research, which surveyed over 220 sites, revealed that 60-70 per cent of surveyed sites were populated by koalas, far exceeding previous assumptions about koala numbers in forestry areas.  

Dr. Law stated that koala’s presence at the surveyed sites were unaffected by forestry timber harvesting. Control experiments within National Parks showed no difference of koala occupation between National Parks and State Forests. 

“Science has proven that balance is possible, ideology should never be used to drive policy,” Kemp said. 

“Labor’s own recent drone survey backs up Dr Laws research, identifying over 12,000 koalas living within the assessment area of the Great Koala National Park. It’s time they conduct similar surveys in National Parks to definitively prove whether responsible, sustainable forestry impacts koala populations at all.”   

The research pointed to bushfires as the primary threat to koala populations, not forestry. The findings reinforce that current protections in place during harvesting are effective. 

“NSW koala numbers are stronger than activists would have us believe, and sustainable forestry provides much-needed habitat support while mitigating the dangers posed by fire,” Kemp said. 

“Labor needs to face reality and protect our managed forests. After all, 88 per cent of our forested land in NSW is already unable to be harvested due to being held by National Park or protected for Riparian, flora, or fauna regulations.” 

“Based on the evidence from Dr. Law, we need to increase the size of State Forests as they are much better at managing land and much cheaper per hectare,” Kemp concluded. 

To view the full video, visit: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?mibextid=wwXIfr&v=1381056936200480&rdid=UYibbvDE01TWYDGE.

See:  Great Koala National Park;  koala;  Open for Debate: Koalas

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3 COMMENTS

  1. Both sides of politics in NSW are trying to use koalas to support their ideology. Neither are prepared to acknowledge the scientific fact, increasingly apparent from acoustic, drone and sniffer dog surveys, that koalas are irrupting, not declining.
    Dr. Law’s research, published in 2018, demonstrated that timber harvesting had no effect on koala numbers, irrespective of intensity or supposed protective regulations.
    Law’s published data don’t support his claims that harvesting restrictions are necessary to maintain koala numbers and that megafires are a threat.
    Michael Kemp is correct in stating “For years, an anti-forestry agenda has been pushed, ignoring evidence and stifling progress”. The agenda’s been pushed by both sides of politics.
    Kemp’s dead wrong in blaming the alleged but fictional decline of koalas on “urban encroachment, extreme fire and disease”. Koalas are invading suburbia and suffering disease consequent to irruptions promoted by Lock It Up and Let it Burn ‘conservation’ policies.
    Law’s data, published in 3 separate papers, show that koala numbers continued to increase on the north coast despite fatalities in Black Summer.

  2. Lock It Up and Let It Burn ‘conservation policies’ are great for the species but not for all the animals burnt eaten or runover.

  3. The Greens and their weak minded mates are unapologetically ignoring fact just as they always have. In their minds millions can’t be wrong especially when their screaming loudly. It’s up to people of sense to speak up and not let the facts be overwritten by fiction. This article is a good start.

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