{"id":2186526,"date":"2025-04-25T12:00:01","date_gmt":"2025-04-25T10:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/focusingonwildlife.com\/news\/?p=2186526"},"modified":"2025-04-18T13:58:46","modified_gmt":"2025-04-18T11:58:46","slug":"endangered-greater-gliders-recorded-in-proposed-great-koala-national-park-in-nsw-as-logging-continues","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/focusingonwildlife.com\/news\/endangered-greater-gliders-recorded-in-proposed-great-koala-national-park-in-nsw-as-logging-continues\/","title":{"rendered":"Endangered greater gliders recorded in proposed great koala national park in NSW as logging continues"},"content":{"rendered":"

Government surveys have found tens of thousands of endangered greater gliders could be living within the proposed area for a great koala national park in New South Wales, prompting new calls for the area to be quickly protected from logging.<\/p>\n

Data from aerial drone and ground-based surveys at 169 sites within the proposed park were used to model the likely presence of Australia\u2019s largest gliding possum across the entire 176,000 hectares the NSW government is considering for protection.<\/p>\n

The Minns Labor government promised to create a koala national park before the state election more than two years ago, but has not taken a decision on the boundaries and has allowed logging to continue.<\/p>\n

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A greater glider in flight. Photograph: Sami Raines\/WWF<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Between April and July 2024, the surveys detected greater gliders at 82 sites. The government\u2019s analysis estimated the planned park has between 29,693 and 44,211 gliders, with a mean estimate of 36,483. Some survey sites in the north-west recorded \u201cextremely high detections\u201d of the species, according to the new report.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis puts paid to any argument that this is not an environmentally significant area and endorses the protection of the complete 176,000 hectares in a national park,\u201d Justin Field, spokesperson for the Forest Alliance NSW and former independent member of the NSW upper house, said.<\/p>\n

A great koala national park in in the state\u2019s north was NSW Labor\u2019s key environmental commitment at the 2023 election but, two years on, the government has given no indication of when it will announce how much of the 176,000 hectares it plans to protect.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe politically pointed question is: why is Chris Minns allowing the great potential legacy of this park to be undermined by a slow decision?\u201d Field said.<\/p>\n

A NSW government spokesperson said the creation of the park was \u201cone of our key election commitments, and it will be delivered soon\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cCreating this park will protect koalas, and that protection will extend to other important species including gliders.\u201d<\/p>\n

Community groups and conservation advocates have grown increasingly frustrated as the government has allowed logging to continue within the proposed park instead of declaring a moratorium until assessment is complete.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese gliders do not tolerate logging and this report should motivate the Minns government to immediately end logging in the proposed great koala national park,\u201d the chief executive of the Nature Conservation Council of NSW, Jacqui Mumford, said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn fact, logging should cease in all state forest areas identified as containing greater gliders.\u201d<\/p>\n