The economic impact of national parks in the NSW wheat-sheep belt

The region covers approximately 32% of the State, with a population of over 500,000 people. The region contains around 77 national parks, nature reserves, state conservation areas and historic sites.

Summary of findings

Around 285,000 visitors each year visit wheat-sheep belt parks and reserves. Approximately 262,000 (92%) of these park visitors are tourists from other parts of NSW, Australia and overseas.

The former Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH) commissioned the Centre for Agricultural and Regional Economics to undertake a study on the impact of national parks on the regional economies of the northern, central and southern zones of the NSW wheat-sheep belt. This study estimated the economic contribution from the former-OEH park management and from spending by park visitors who come from outside the region, as shown in the table.

The study found that OEH expenditure contributed $7.5 million per year in direct and indirect regional value-added activity. About $5.3 million a year of this comprises household income. The OEH expenditure directly and indirectly generated the equivalent of 138 jobs in the region.

Figures may not add due to rounding

The study shows that visitors to parks and reserves in the wheat-sheep belt contribute $8.8 million per year in direct and indirect regional value-added activity, which includes $4.1 million income as household income. Visitor spending helped generate the equivalent of 157 jobs in the region.

The OEH-managed parks and reserves in the wheat-sheep belt helped create the equivalent of approximately 295 local jobs.