Federal minister gives green light for koala habitat to be bulldozed for Port Stephens quarry

Conservationists accuse Sussan Ley of choosing rocks over koalas' after she approved 52 hectares of habitat destruction to expand Brandy Hill quarry

More than 50 hectares of koala habitat in the New South Wales town of Port Stephens is set to be cleared after the federal environment minister, Sussan Ley, approved the expansion of a quarry.

The minister, whose decision comes as the government considers the koala for an official endangered listing, said on Tuesday the department's assessment found the development would not rob the area of critical koala habitat".