00:01After a marathon 14 hours of debate, members of the Legislative Council voted to approve Labor's plans for the Great
00:08Koala National Park.
00:09The park will span 478,000 hectares between Grafton and Kempsey and will be a key habitat for koalas as
00:17well as 100 other threatened species.
00:19The park will be formed from existing national parks as well as crown land and state forests.
00:24To fund the upkeep of the park, the government says it will generate carbon credits from ending logging in state
00:30forests, a plan which was approved by the Clean Energy Regulator yesterday afternoon.
00:35Labor says there are carve-outs for recreational use, including four-wheel driving and motorbike riding, but will also protect
00:42key habitat areas for koalas in the region.
00:45Over 160 amendments were discussed by the Legislative Council over the past 14 hours, including concerns from shooters, fishers and
00:54farmers and the nationals about fire access and recreational activities.
00:59The Greens also put forward amendments trying to expand the area of the park, arguing more needed to be protected.
01:05The legislation passed with the support of the Greens and the Liberal Party.
01:09The Sadie
01:10Center
01:104
01:10But
