Australia announces a plan for new Great Koala National Park

It's good news for these furry friends

The Australian government has come up with a plan for a Great Koala National Park, which they say will help to protect koalas in the wild.

The park will be a massive 476,000 hectares in size - that's double the size of England's Lake District.

The new plan has outlined how the government will join up lots of national parks in the New South Wales area of Australia to create a giant koala reserve.

Logging, which is when businesses chop down trees, has also been banned in this area for now.

Koalas are native to Australia, living in trees, munching on eucalyptus leaves and having the ability to sleep for up to 22 hours a day.

They look very cute, cuddly, and pretty content, but they're having a hard time in the wild.

In areas like New South Wales, they're listed as endangered - meaning that they're at risk of becoming extinct.

In fact, the Australian government say that if no action is taken, this could happen by 2050.

Koalas have faced threats of droughts, heatwaves and bushfires, as well as disease and habitat loss.

Deforestation is a big issue affecting koalas right now

One of the government's actions is to introduce the temporary ban on logging in the areas that would make up the Great Koala National Park.

Trees have been cut down in New South Wales for the wood that's used as a building material.

As koalas live in the trees native to the forests, this affects how much space they have to live and call home.

Some logging businesses and timber companies are worried about the ban, which the Australian government predict will impact some timber mills and around 300 jobs.

The government say they will pay workers during the ban, as well as consulting with Aboriginal people about plans for future jobs in the park.

Could koalas be walking towards a brighter future?

The plan for a Great Koala National Park has been in the works for ten years, and the announcement of park boundaries and funding is an important step.

Environmental groups have been reacting positively to the news, which could protect more than 12,000 koalas as well as other habitat and species in the park.

Conservation scientist Dr Stuart Blanch, from the charity WWF-Australia, said: "This park is great news for koalas and it should be great for people too."

The Wilderness Society said: "Conservation wins don't get much bigger than this. This historic announcement will give koalas a fighting chance for a future."