A spokesperson for the group, John Jeayes says the decline in koala populations is well noted and accepted, yet council is pushing ahead with its plans.

“In three scenarios put to the recent Port Macquarie Koala roundtable meeting, all concluded the complete local extinction of our koalas within 50 years,” Mr Jeayes said.

“Council is hastening this terrible result with the intention to secure biocertification for the 444 hectares of mostly threatened species habitat beside the airport. Just so bigger jets can also land here.

“Council is showing a complete lack of empathy for the plight of the local koala population.”

Mr Jeayes said unless the community band together to fight for the preservation of our koala population and demand council reconsider what the previous council approved we are going to lose our iconic native animal.

Port Macquarie-Hastings Council says its application for biocertification covering the development of the airport and surrounding lands is aimed at achieving best practice.

Director Matt Rogers said council needed to merge growth of the area but with sensitivity.

Coupled with the development of the airport – which is required to satisfy the Civil Aviation Safety Authority’s Code 4C standard – council’s application covers the proposed zoned residential and light industrial land in the adjoining Thrumster area and land proposed for future business park on Boundary Street, adjacent to the Port Macquarie airport.

The application is currently before the state government, he said.

Mr Rogers said the aim of the application is to coordinate environmental offsets for all of these areas in one biodiversity certification proposal.

“The biocertification process is a big picture view of large, complex developments such as the airport planning,” he said.

“Essentially, the biocertification process is done early to give a clear sight of the development that has, in this case, a 20 year horizon.

“It is a holistic look at a large development but designed and aimed at getting the best outcome.”

But the application, which totals 1024.48 hectares, contains 118.50 hectares of land containing native vegetation and threatened species habitat which is proposed to be removed.

This area comprises a total koala habitat area of 79.75ha, with 50.62ha of primary habitat and a further 29.13ha of secondary habitat.

Mr Rogers said the biocertification application includes the permanent protection of about 440ha with further money set aside to maintain that protection.

The ‘regrettable’ loss of koala habitat was noted in a council report in August 2016.

That report said the key issues raised included, The koala population in the affected area is of national significance; The proposal will lead to the loss of 60ha of prime Koala habitat; There will be a net loss of koala habitat, despite proposed compensation measures; and the offset should be revegetation/recreation of an ‘equivalent area’ to that being impacted, in close proximity to the impact area to achieve ‘no net loss’.

Mr Rogers acknowledged the loss of koala habitat but said the study area – 118ha of land – was large.

“The area will only be cleared in small lots; they’ll only clear these lands as and when required,” he said.

Mr Rogers said council continues to work with the koala hospital and developing its koala strategy for the management of koala populations.