A National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) Ranger has welcomed a Labor Party proposal to help koalas, but warned the expansion of parks must be planned properly.

In January 2023, Opposition Leader, Chris Minns announced his party will recommit to establishing the “great koala national park” on the NSW North Coast. Mr Minns said an area of about 300,000 hectares of key habitat for the native species would be protected from logging.

The marsupial is now considered endangered in NSW and Queensland.

No doubt under pressure from the National Party, Dominic Perrottet has not matched Labor’s promise.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, the PSA Delegate working for NPWS welcomed the plans.

“The Government needs to ensure colonies are linked by protected land, to stop them being killed by cars and dogs as they move between National Parks,” he said.

The Delegate also said any new government needs to ensure new land allocated to the National Park network is chosen with care.

He cited the examples of National Parks where weed infestation from forestry operations in the past means staff are often spending time in restoration projects rather than other duties.

“You don’t want a park to be a sink hole for funds better spent elsewhere,” he said.