NSW Labor pledges to protect koala population with new national park in Sydney’s south-west

Labor’s proposed koala national park would supersede the government’s 17-year major development policy for the Georges River region. Photograph: John White Photos/Getty Images

One of Australia’s most important populations of healthy koalas would be protected by a new national park to be established in Sydney’s south-west if Labor wins the New South Wales election.

The party’s environment spokesperson, Penny Sharpe, will announce on Saturday that a Labor government would transfer publicly owned lands, between Glenfield and Appin, to the national parks service to establish a Georges River koala national park for the endangered species.