NSW Nationals leader John Barilaro threatened to move his team to the cross-benches, however Mrs Williams said she made it clear she would not follow that course of action.

The local member said she respected her colleagues' decision.

"This was not a tough situation for me," she said. "I made my position clear on Thursday and advised both the premier and the deputy premier of that," she said.

"I was elected as a member of a Liberal and National government. I said that I would remain on the government benches and support government bills and attend join party room meetings.

"I am continuing to work hard as a local member."

She described this as her principal position as a member of the coalition government.

"We have, as a coalition government, delivered unprecedented investment into regional NSW.

"In the Port Macquarie electorate alone, since being elected in 2011, we have delivered over a billion dollars in investments.

"There are now more teachers, more nurses and more police, new roads and bridges because we are a good Liberal and Nationals government.

"It is my strong view that the actions of my colleagues would put that all into jeopardy," she said.

"At the end of the day it would be my community that would suffer."

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Mrs Williams said the Port Macquarie electorate is critically aware of the impact of the recent bushfires on koala population and habitat.

She said the koala had become the heart and soul of our community's psyche.

"But I also know that there are some concerns about the changes to the koala habitat under the new legislation," she said.

"And I have taken those concerns - as with any other issues - to the relevant ministers.

"I've had discussions with minister for planning and public spaces Rob Stokes and the premier on these topics.

"This is what you can do when you are at the negotiating table. Lose that, and we lose that ability and we have no room to negotiate.

"I understand the position taken by my colleagues and respect that position. They are doing what good local members do and that is to represent their communities the best way they can.

"But for me, as a local member, this is not the way we should be doing business."

Clinical director for Port Macquarie Koala Hospital Cheyne Flanagan said any moves to further protect koalas deserved support.

"The current legislation is not very good and the legislation needs to be tightened," she said.

"So any new legislation that is put in place that further protects koalas should be supported."

A spokesperson for local community and environment groups Harry Creamer said an overwhelming majority of voters on the Mid-North Coast value koalas highly.

"The recent findings of a NSW inquiry that koalas in the wild will become extinct by 2050 if we continue the way we are, and that existing regulations governing land development need strengthening, are a wake-up call to our politicians if ever there was one", he said.

"Liberals are right to stand by the koala in NSW, and make the legislation work as intended.

"We support the premier and her planning and environment ministers in trying to do the right thing by New South Wales, by regional people and the koalas that live here.

"The Mid-North Coast is a koala hot spot and we value our koalas for our 'clean-green' image, the tourism branding they bring, and just knowing they live around us, that we share our surroundings with them.

"We are not impressed having these National MPs now putting development ahead of koala protection."

Greens member of the NSW Legislative Council Cate Faehrmann said it was "extremely reassuring" to see the state government act to protect koalas.

Ms Faehrmann was the chair of the recent NSW Koala Inquiry.

"The Koala Inquiry reported in June with the key finding, supported by all members of the committee including government members, that koalas will be extinct by 2050 unless the government takes urgent action," she said.

"The Inquiry found that the ongoing loss and fragmentation of koala habitat poses the most serious threat to koala populations and that koalas in the wild in NSW cannot be guaranteed unless the government takes further action to protect their habitat.

"It's extremely reassuring to see that the premier has listened to the sobering findings from the Inquiry and is beginning to act upon the recommendations which were supported by all sides of politics."

Mrs Williams would not be drawn on the future of the leadership of John Barilaro for the Nationals.

"This is not about John Barilaro's leadership. This is about what we do as Nationals members in order to best serve our electorates," she said.

"Matters in relation to the leadership are matters for the party room.

"However, I am ever an optimist, and that there is a possibility that we can repair this relationship."

Mrs Williams said Nationals members represent different geographic areas which bring with it differing views and opinions.

Minister for water, property and housing and Oxley MP Melinda Pavey declined to comment.

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