NSW Members take action on Great Koala National Park

The NSW Government’s decision to declare a 176,000-hectare Great Koala National Park has left NSW timber workers and their families facing an uncertain future. I’ve spoken with these workers, and the NSW Government’s support package does not begin to address the real impacts of mass redundancies.

The NSW Government’s initial offer of a support package is more than $100,000 lower than other states’ timber support packages. Under the current offer, a 50-year-old forestry worker in NSW stands to receive 567% less than a comparable worker in Victoria made redundant just last year. This is a shocking offer from a state Labor Government.

Last month, AWU and TFTU members and delegates visited ministers and politicians at NSW Parliament to share how this forestry workers support package will affect their families and local communities.

I’d also like to express a heartfelt thank you to all AWU forestry workers, particularly our delegates Luke Seccombe and Andrew Condie. During what has been an incredibly difficult and uncertain time, both have gone above and beyond by travelling to Sydney and taking time out of their weeks join our delegation to NSW Parliament. Their commitment ensured politicians could hear directly from affected workers about the real impacts these decisions have workers and their families.

Forestry workers displaced or made redundant following the recent announcement of the Great Koala National Park deserve dignity and fair compensation. The current offer is simply not enough.

The AWU is calling for the NSW Government to bring their offer in line with those made by other states to protect the stability of regional communities. Each job loss in NSW timber is more than a statistic; it’s a family facing uncertainty and a pay cheque not supporting local businesses. The NSW government needs to seriously reconsider its impact on workers’ futures and regional towns.

That means investing in real redundancy top-ups, support for workers nearing retirement, proper retraining, and assistance for families and communities adjusting to industry closures. Anything less is unacceptable. The fight is far from over.

Kai He, (AWU), Oskar Loofs, (TFTU), Anna Watson MP, Shellharbour, Todd Lyons, (TFTU), Natalie Thompson, (TFTU), Andrew Condie, (AWU)