Tasman and Corinya properties enhance conservation and culture
The NSW Government and The Nature Conservancy (TNC) have partnered to acquire Tasman and Corinya Stations in western NSW, safeguarding vulnerable landscapes and exceptional Aboriginal cultural heritage, while creating new opportunities for tourism and local economies.
The TNC has generously contributed $4.41 million towards the purchase of the 71,000-hectare properties, located south of Cobar. This was made possible through their long-standing partnership with The Wyss Foundation.
Early planning is underway for new infrastructure, including a camp site and a day-use area, boosting tourism opportunities, local employment and economic diversification.
The acquisition safeguards two of NSW’s least reserved bioregions, the Cobar Peneplain and the Murray Darling Depression, and protects the Neckarbo Range and Barnato Lakes landscapes for the first time in NSW, along with six other underrepresented landscapes.
Tasman and Corinya provide habitat for at least 11 threatened arid and woodland bird species such as the south-east hooded robin, pink cockatoo and grey-crowned babbler, as well as one endangered plant and one endangered ecological community.
The properties also contain 33 plant community types, including many mature hollow bearing trees that support these diverse bird species.
On Ngiyampaa Country, the sites hold exceptional cultural heritage values including rock art in its cave system and parts of the Ngiyampaa songline connecting Mt Grenfell through to Mt Manara.
National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) will work in close collaboration with Traditional Custodians to manage the cultural sites and protect the values and archaeological evidence of the world’s longest continuous culture in perpetuity.
In 2024–25 more than 73,000 visitors spent over 193,000 nights in Western NSW national park campgrounds and accommodation, contributing to the $433 million boost to regional economies from national park management and tourism.
NPWS will manage these properties including feral animal and weed control, all internal road and fire trail maintenance as well as cultural heritage and biodiversity surveys.
The NSW Government acquired the properties after they were listed for sale on the open market.
The NSW national parks system totals almost 7.67 million hectares, or 9.57 per cent of NSW.
Quotes attributable to NPWS Deputy Secretary Alex Graham:
"Thanks to the extremely generous support of The Nature Conservancy and their partnership with The Wyss Foundation, National Parks and Wildlife Service can permanently protect these special parts of NSW which until now have had very little conservation.
“These lands hold stories that stretch across generations and ecosystems that are home to iconic outback birds.
“We’re prioritising areas that offer both conservation value and cultural connection, and Tasman and Corinya deliver on both fronts.
“It also presents opportunities for local communities and regional economies by encouraging nature-based tourism to this part of the state.”
Quotes attributable to Molly McUsic, President of the Wyss Foundation:
“We are proud to support the permanent protection of this extraordinary landscape, home to numerous threatened bird and bat species.
“Philanthropy plays a critical role in accelerating the pace of conservation, and this partnership demonstrates the importance of strategic funding in meeting national and global biodiversity goals.
“The Wyss Foundation is an international entity dedicated to addressing the global conservation crisis and supporting innovative, lasting solutions that improve lives, empower communities, and strengthen connections to the land.”