Great Koala National Park

Taking steps to create a national park on the Mid North Coast is a direct response to the need to conserve and protect the state’s endangered koala population as well as many other threatened fauna species in the region.

The Great Koala National Park is a large and biodiverse landscape and will become a centrepiece of koala conservation in New South Wales as well as a must-see destination, attracting visitors and contributing to the local economy. Pending the outcomes of the work being undertaken by the NSW Government over the next 12 months, the Great Koala National Park would see existing reserves combined with the 176,000 hectares to create a vast network of protected areas encompassing over 475,000 hectares from Kempsey to Grafton and inland to Ebor.

Download the map of the proposed Great Koala National Park (PDF 2.3MB).

The final creation of the park is dependent on the successful registration of a carbon project under the Improved Native Forest Management (INFM) Method, which is currently moving through the federal government assessment processes.

Funding

The NSW Government committed $80 million in the 2023–24 State Budget to support the development of the Great Koala National Park. An additional $60 million in funding has also been announced for the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service to support the establishment of the park. This is in addition to worker support and industry compensation.

We will continue to provide updates as the project progresses.

Why do we need a Great Koala National Park?

Koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) in New South Wales face a range of threats, including habitat loss, fragmentation and degradation. Koalas in New South Wales were declared endangered by the NSW Independent Scientific Committee and the Australian Government in 2022.

In addition, a NSW Legislative Council Committee Inquiry found that, without urgent government intervention to protect habitat and address other threats, koalas would become extinct in New South Wales before 2050. This inquiry recommended investigating the establishment of a Great Koala National Park.

Koala drone surveys conducted across the assessment area between April and July 2024 detected an estimated population of between 10,300 and 14,540 koalas, with a mean estimate of 12,111 koalas. The Great Koala National Park will provide large areas of connected and high-quality habitat to protect this significant koala population.

The results from the koala drone survey are available online at Koala survey of the Mid North Coast assessment area.

Protecting other high-value conservation assets

Koalas are an iconic species and the focus of establishing this new national park; however, 66 threatened fauna species and 37 threatened flora species have also been recorded in the area. The fauna diversity in the Great Koala National Park matches that of other large and well-regarded national parks such as Blue Mountains and Kosciuszko.

The creation of the park will also benefit other threatened species, including southern greater gliders, yellow-bellied gliders and glossy black cockatoos, as well as spider orchids not previously recorded in any other national park estate.   

The park will protect precious old-growth forest and important water catchments, including the Bellingen, Nambucca and Nymboida water supplies. The park will be a critical refugia for species in a warming climate – the assessment found most of the area has very high or high climate change refugia values.

What have we done so far?

The process to identify the boundaries for the proposed Great Koala National Park involved assessing 176,000 hectares of native State forest. Plantations were excluded from the assessment.  

The comprehensive assessment and consultation process involved:

• an independent economic and social assessment that considered the impact on local jobs and communities
• the establishment of industry, community and Aboriginal advisory panels, who met regularly during the assessment period to provide input to the assessment process and creation of the park
• expert environmental and cultural heritage assessments to ensure the Great Koala National Park aligns with the highest standards of environmental protection and respect for cultural heritage
• engagement with a number of State forest recreational user groups and commercial operators.

There will be further opportunities to provide feedback on future management and uses.

Next steps

Timber harvesting moratorium

The NSW Government has announced a temporary moratorium on timber harvesting in State forests identified to become part of the new national park. This means that current harvesting operations will cease, and no new operations will commence.

Hardwood plantations are not a part of the assessment area and are not subject to the moratorium. Timber harvesting will continue in hardwood plantations. Private native forestry is still permitted with appropriate approvals from Local Land Services.

The Forestry Corporation of NSW will continue to be the land manager for this area during the moratorium. Activities like road maintenance and fire management will continue to be conducted by the corporation.

The moratorium will allow time for the NSW Government to undertake the work required to be able to put a Bill to Parliament to reserve the Great Koala National Park under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974 in 2026. However, this is subject to completing key elements required to create the park, including registration of a carbon project.  

Supporting timber industry businesses and workers

The NSW Government is working to contain the number of businesses impacted and minimise job losses due to the reduction in wood supply volume due to the moratorium, which is why direct negotiations are underway with a small number of mills.

Business continuity payments are being provided to ensure impacted mill workers continue to be paid while the government works with impacted businesses.

More information

More information about the moratorium and available support for businesses and workers can be found on the NSW Government's Great Koala National Park page or by emailing [email protected].

Consultation and engagement

During the moratorium, the National Parks and Wildlife Service will:

• engage and consult with recreational users to help guide and inform future management arrangements once the Great Koala National Park is established. Most existing recreational activities will be permitted to continue in the Great Koala National Park
• work with existing permit holders and licensees to determine future arrangements for when the Great Koala National Park is established. Most existing permits and licences will be permitted to continue in the Great Koala National Park
• continue to meet and consult with the Aboriginal Advisory Panel
• provide quarterly updates to local government authorities, MPs, regional tourism bodies, local community groups, environmental groups and other interested user groups  
• consider what our management approaches will be for the Great Koala National Park, including comprehensive fire management
• provide quarterly progress updates on the National Parks and Wildlife Service Great Koala National Park webpage. 

Aboriginal Advisory Panel engagement

The Aboriginal Advisory Panel developed a Position Statement, Principles of Respect and Recognition and Testimonials to communicate their support for the Great Koala National Park, and aspirations for Aboriginal employment, socio-economic and cultural benefits.

The independent cultural heritage assessment showed the Great Koala National Park is a significant cultural landscape for Gumbaynggirr and Dunghutti peoples.

The Great Koala National Park will contribute to Closing the Gap targets, and the Aboriginal Advisory Panel will continue to provide advice on future management of the park. This includes joint management, employment of Aboriginal staff, engagement of Aboriginal businesses and support for traditional cultural practices on park.

Developing the carbon method

Creating the Great Koala National Park involves changing land tenure and management practices. Ceasing timber harvesting allows native forests to continue growing beyond the standard harvesting rotation cycles, thereby sequestering more carbon. Emissions from harvesting and post-harvest management will be also avoided. This means the Great Koala National Park will have a positive impact on carbon abatement.

The government is exploring the potential benefits of carbon revenue and is seeking to develop an Improved Native Forest Management (INFM) method under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) Act 2011 (Cth).  

The INFM method has been shortlisted for development by the Australian Government and further technical development, and consultation is currently progressing. If adopted and applied to the Great Koala National Park, the Australian Carbon Credits Units (ACCUs) generated could contribute to the cost of establishing and managing the park. 

How will the Great Koala National Park be managed in the future?

As the park is being established, more than 100 new staff will be required at the National Parks and Wildlife Service to deliver enhanced fire management, feral animal and weed control, ecological rehabilitation and visitor management.

Management of areas that become a reserve under the National Parks and Wildlife Act will be guided by a plan of management. This will involve extensive community consultation to ensure that a broad range of uses, including many of the existing recreational uses, can be undertaken in the new park.

New visitor infrastructure, enhanced campgrounds and walking trails are to be delivered and an adventure precinct is also being considered. This will ensure the Great Koala National Park delivers economic, tourism and social benefits for the region.

Register for updates

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