KEY CORRIDOR MISSING FROM GREAT KOALA NATIONAL PARK ASSESSMENT AREA

Now there’s a race against time to save it, after drone finds high density of koalas and greater gliders

A crucial section of forest in the Bollanolla Range, north west of Valla Beach is missing from the Great Koala National Park assessment area.

It was included in previous maps of the assessment area but then the NSW government removed it last year.

Drone surveys funded by conservation groups confirm the area known as “the Bollanolla”, is core habitat for one of the most important koala populations in the Great Koala National Park’s footprint.

It’s also home to hollow-dependent threatened species such as greater gliders. A government ecologist even described hollow bearing trees in the 528-hectare block as a “rare commodity” in the region.

With the New South Wales government still to announce the park’s boundaries, conservations are racing against time to have the Bollanolla included in the park and protected from the threat of logging.

The National Parks Association of NSW, World Wide Fund for Nature Australia, and many local groups are advocating for “the Bollanolla” to become part of the Great Koala National Park.

This was requested in a letter to the NSW government last year. Soon after that correspondence NSW Forestry Corp indicated on its portal it could be logged within six months. While the portal no longer indicates logging within six months, more than 60% of the area could be subject to logging.

Drone surveys indicate a high density of threatened species

To help mount the case for protection, WWF and the NPA funded drone surveys of the area on the nights of 19 March, 7 April and 30 April 2025. A local drone ecologist identified 10 koalas, 5 southern greater gliders, and 2 squirrel gliders and wrote it could be inferred the area “supports a high density of threatened species, specifically koalas and southern greater gliders and is an important refuge”.

A separate report by consultancy Bower Bush details the conservation values of “the Bollanolla” with a map showing it forms a crucial link between Jaaningga and Bollanolla Nature Reserves and is part of a corridor between the coast and the hinterland.

These linkages help koalas, gliders and other threatened species move through the landscape maintaining genetic diversity. If protected, “the Bollanolla” would provide a key source of fauna to recolonise surrounding regenerating forests.

The area is a significant cultural landscape and numerous features and entities from the Gumbaynggirr language are indicative of the area’s ongoing cultural, spiritual and ecological values.

Storylines of the koala ‘Dunggirr, kangaroo ‘Nunguu’, treecreeper ‘Niyin’ and stingray ‘Ngalaany’ are embedded in this landscape and connect the Gumbaynggirr to culture, totems and Jagun ‘Country’.

“The Bollanolla” escaped the 2019-20 fires and is known or potential habitat for up to 40 threatened species. For species sensitive to rising temperatures its elevation and rainforest gullies provide a refuge.

There are areas of old-growth forest, as well as maturing trees starting to develop hollows. It’s these maturing trees that logging operations will likely target.

The Bower Bush report includes the following comments from wildlife ecologists:

”Recent detections of SGG and YBG, indicate the presence of Old Growth and an adequate array of hollow bearing trees which are a rare commodity in north-east NSW coastal forests” (pers comm. B Tolhurst – A/Senior Team Leader Ecosystems, Threatened Species DCCEEW). 22 November 2024).

”Recent records of SGG and YBG, species sensitive to logging, indicate the Bollanolla Range is likely to function as a ‘glider recolonisation source’ to adjacent forests, and those heavily impacted by logging’ (pers. comm. D Milledge -Wildlife Ecologist. 13 December 2024).

Dr Grahame Douglas, President Coffs Coast Branch of the National Parks Association of NSW said:

“There is no doubt the Bollanolla block in Newry State Forest should be included in the Great Koala National Park.

These surveys demonstrate that Bollanolla is an exceptional hotspot of biodiversity, with confirmed sightings of many threatened species that depend on intact forest, including greater, yellow-bellied and squirrel gliders, koala and sooty owl.

NPA calls on the NSW Government to ensure the permanent protection of this critical component of the GKNP.”

Aunty Alison Buchanan, Gumbaynggirr elder, said:

“For my people, seeing our forests destroyed represents a profound loss of cultural heritage, spiritual connection, and traditional livelihoods, impacting our identity and ability to care for our country.”

Dr Stuart Blanch, conservation scientist, WWF-Australia said:

“The Bollanolla is a rare patch of mature coastal forest at risk of logging. It should be protected in the Great Koala National Park, and should have been assessed by the NSW government.

The work of conservation groups and forest campaigners over decades has shown its importance as a corridor of high conservation value forest. The drone surveys prove it is home to high densities of endangered koalas and greater gliders."

Ashley Love, founder of the Great Koala National Park proposal, and Life Member, Bellingen Environment Centre, said:

"The Bollanolla lands form a largely undisturbed core area of the second most important coastal koala population in the proposed Great Koala National Park.

They are also at the centre of one the best-connected coastal habitats to higher elevation and tablelands habitats on the entire North Coast. The Bollanolla lands are an essential component of the proposed Great Koala National Park not only for koalas, but also for southern greater gliders and yellow-bellied gliders and many other threatened species as well."

Forest Ecology Alliance spokesperson Deanna Markovina said:

“The Bollanolla holds deep cultural significance for the Gumbaynggirr people. As a rare and largely undisturbed public forest, it acts as a vital high ridge refuge for threatened species and plays a key role in maintaining regional biodiversity amid accelerating climate change.

Since 2020, Forest Ecology Alliance members have conducted citizen science flora and fauna surveys in The Bollanolla and most of the proposed Great Koala National Park forests.

We regularly feature The Bollanolla to host community events, including bushwalks, birdwatching, orienteering, camps and nocturnal wildlife observation.

Gumbaynggirr locals and visitors describe it as a spiritually uplifting place to connect with Country. It deserves permanent protection as a cultural, ecological, educational and recreational centrepiece of the Great Koala National Park”.

Paula Flack, president of Nambucca Valley Conservation Association, said:

“The Bollanolla provides critical habitat linkages for koalas and greater gliders and is a significant refuge area for these species. It will play an important role in koala and greater glider recovery within the adjoining public native forests that have been intensively logged despite being destined to be part of the GKNP.

The Bollanolla is also an extremely steep and heavily forested area that is part of the Deep Creek catchment, delivering abundant, clean water to downstream rural property water users and estuary fish breeding areas.

This area is so important on so many levels, it definitely should be protected as part of the Great Koala National Park”.