I do not think I will go into a trivia contest with the member for Riverstone on motorsport. He is quite the oracle. I speak in support of the National Park Estate (Great Koala National Park Reservations) Bill 2026, which is the culmination of a mammoth effort by so many people inside and outside government over more than a decade. I particularly acknowledge the National Parks Association of NSW, which originally developed the Great Koala National Park proposal, working together with local conservation groups, scientists and dedicated community advocates. They developed a compelling proposal for an ambitious landscape-scale protected area bringing the best koala habitat in New South Wales out of the path of industrial logging and into the conservation estate.

To its credit, Labor adopted the Great Koala National Park as a policy in opposition and took it to three elections in 2015, 2019 and 2023. In power, Labor has used the resources and levers of government to undertake the detailed consultation and planning needed to make the park a reality. I thank the many parents of the Great Koala National Park for creating this extraordinary legacy for the State. The bill will protect more than 178,000 hectares of additional land. Together with existing reserves, that creates a majestic, connected and protected landscape across more than 475,000 hectares of the Coffs Harbour region.

That is an extraordinary achievement backed by scientific evidence. The Government's ecological assessments confirmed the exceptional biodiversity of those forests. In 2024 scientists undertook more than 4,000 kilometres of night-time drone surveys and estimated the koala population to be approximately 12,000 across the assessment area. The assessments also identified 66 threatened fauna species and 37 threatened plant species. Astonishingly, the assessment area contained records of 44 per cent of all threatened mammal species in New South Wales. Those forests provide habitat for greater gliders, yellow-bellied gliders, glossy black‑cockatoos and threatened spider orchids. As the climate changes, those forests will become even more important. The Government's assessment has identified high or very high climate refugia values across much of the area.

Although my electorate of Wakehurst is hundreds of kilometres away from Coffs Harbour, I regularly receive correspondence from constituents deeply concerned about native forest logging and urging the creation of the Great Koala National Park. They understand that protecting our natural heritage is a responsibility shared by everyone across New South Wales and they want native forest logging to end across the State. I share that goal. I am particularly encouraged by the Commonwealth's approval of the improved native forest management method, which creates a pathway that could help end industrial native forest logging while supporting a transition to more sustainable regional employment. That is an exciting opportunity for our State.

I welcome the bill's recognition of the importance of getting people into our national parks to enjoy them. In Wakehurst, we are fortunate to have magnificent bushland and people absolutely love their mountain biking, bushwalking, trail running and other outdoor adventures. I welcome the bill's provision for different reserve categories, including regional parks, allowing activities such as mountain biking, camping, horseriding and four‑wheel driving to continue in appropriate locations.

In May 2025 I visited Coffs Harbour with fellow Independent MPs the member for Sydney and the member for Pittwater to help push for the creation of the Great Koala National Park. We met with local business operators who were enthusiastic about the park's potential to attract visitors, support local businesses and create new opportunities for the region. We also visited the forests to see firsthand the extraordinary habitat at stake and the impacts of native forest logging. We made a commitment to take their message back to the Government, and we did. We arranged a meeting with the Premier so local business representatives could personally present an open letter signed by 110 Mid North Coast businesses calling for the park's creation. I am delighted that the Government has now delivered. I look forward to promoting the Coffs Harbour region as a world-class destination to people from the Northern Beaches and across New South Wales to experience its inspiring forests, outdoor adventures and local hospitality.

Of course, we must also ensure that forestry workers and their families are properly supported through this transition, with genuine employment and retraining opportunities. While today is overwhelmingly a day for celebration, I encourage the Government to build on this remarkable achievement and bring the Forest Bridge proposal into the park. I am glad the member for Pittwater will move an amendment related to it. The Forest Bridge proposal covers key areas of the Pine Creek and Tuckers Nob State forests and has significant habitat and connectivity values, providing important corridors for wildlife to move from the coast to the escarpment.

I hope the Government will continue examining opportunities to strengthen the park's boundaries and ecological connectivity. Finally, I particularly congratulate environment Minister Penny Sharpe, her staff, the Premier and the Government on making this vision a reality. The Great Koala National Park demonstrates the power of a big, compelling idea. It is something positive we could all work towards, organise around and achieve together. I am thrilled to see it come to fruition. I wholeheartedly commend the bill to the House.

Read this Second Reading Debate in the NSW Hansard here, or below: