Great Koala National Park

The NSW Government has tabled the National Park Estate (Great Koala National Park Reservations) Bill 2026 to create the Great Koala National Park. 

The Great Koala National Park will be a world-class destination on the New South Wales Mid North Coast. It will protect important koala habitat within a large and biodiverse landscape, while providing opportunities for people to connect with nature, culture and wildlife, attracting visitors and supporting local communities and the regional economy.

Creation of the park is subject to the Bill passing both houses of parliament and the declaration of the North East Regional Forest Agreement (GKNP) carbon project under the Improved Native Forest Management (INFM) method. More information about the carbon project will be provided when available.

Read more about the INFM method.

The Great Koala National Park lies within Gumbaynggirr and Dunghutti Country. It is a living cultural landscape shaped by generations of knowledge, culture and care. The Bill recognises the enduring connection of the Gumbaynggirr and Dunghutti peoples to Country and proposes that reserves within the park be given names from their traditional languages.

Maps

Download the map of the Great Koala National Park Reservation Bill area (PDF 1MB).

The Bill reserves over 178,000 hectares of state forest and other Crown lands under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974, creating one of the most significant additions to the NSW reserve system in decades.

It proposes a carefully designed mix of reserve categories to reflect conservation, culture and recreation.

Most of the area will be reserved as national park, ensuring long-term protection of important environmental and cultural values. 

The Bill also creates new nature reserves over areas of exceptional conservation value, a network of regional parks to support traditional recreation and community uses alongside conservation and 2 Aboriginal areas of particular cultural significance.

*Over 17,000 hectares of lands vested in the Minister for the Environment will be reserved as part of the national park estate at a later date, once existing interests have been resolved.

Interactive map

An updated version of the detailed interactive map will be available shortly.

Access and recreation

From the day the Great Koala National Park is created, locals and visitors can continue to enjoy many of the experiences they already know and value. The proposed park has existing visitor areas, campsites and an extensive network of roads and trails. People currently enjoy activities including bushwalking, camping, cycling, mountain biking, 4-wheel driving, horse riding, motorbike riding and other nature-based experiences in appropriate locations.

Once the park is created it will mark the beginning of a long-term vision for conservation, visitor experience and sustainable regional growth. As planning and investment continues, new infrastructure, experiences, guided activities and tourism opportunities will be progressively introduced.

Public access and recreation will continue where activities are lawful, safe and consistent with the management objectives of each reserve category.

Existing interests

The Great Koala National Park includes land where a range of existing authorised activities and interests already occur, including recreational clubs operating under permit, apiary sites, utilities and other approved uses.

These existing interests can continue under current legislative arrangements, providing certainty for permit holders and other authorised users while supporting a smooth transition of land into the national park estate.

Conservation values of the Great Koala National Park

The Great Koala National Park is being established to help protect one of New South Wales’ most important koala populations and conserve the rich biodiversity of the Mid North Coast.

Koalas are listed as endangered in New South Wales and face ongoing threats from habitat loss, fragmentation and degradation. Surveys undertaken in 2024 estimated that more than 12,000 koalas occur across the state forests proposed to transfer to the national park estate, highlighting its significance for koala conservation.

The park will protect large areas of connected, high-quality habitat, helping koalas and other native wildlife thrive. Survey results are available online at Koala survey of the Mid North Coast assessment area.

Protecting important plants, animals and landscapes

While koalas are a key focus of the park, the area is also home to 66 threatened animal species and 37 threatened plant species. These include the southern greater glider, yellow-bellied glider, glossy black-cockatoo and rare spider orchids.

The park will protect old-growth forests, important water catchments and areas that provide refuge for wildlife as the climate changes. Together, these natural values make the Great Koala National Park one of the most significant conservation landscapes in New South Wales.

View the Great Koala National Park environmental assessment report.

Consultation and engagement

Since the proposed boundary for the Great Koala National Park was announced in September 2025, the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) has undertaken extensive consultation with stakeholders, recreational users, special interest groups and the broader community.

Engagement activities included more than 80 face-to-face meetings, community events, website and newsletter updates, and an online Have Your Say survey that received nearly 4,000 responses.

The consultation provided valuable insights into the community’s strong connection to the area and highlighted its significant conservation and cultural values, longstanding recreational and commercial use, and established infrastructure. This feedback helped inform reserve category decisions and will support future park planning and management.

Further engagement opportunities and project updates will continue once the Great Koala National Park is created.

Read the What we heard report for a summary of consultation findings, key themes and outcomes. A supplementary report (PDF 14MB) prepared by the Department of Customer Service provides detailed analysis of the 3,963 responses received through the Have Your Say survey.

Future management of the Great Koala National Park

As the park is being established, around 100 new NPWS staff will deliver enhanced fire management, feral animal and weed control, ecological rehabilitation and visitor management.

As planning for the Great Koala National Park progresses, there will be opportunities for the community to help shape future recreation and visitor experiences through the development of plans of management under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974.

These plans will guide the long-term management of the park's natural, cultural and social values, including conservation, visitor access and recreation opportunities. 

Local communities, visitors, businesses, stakeholders and volunteers will be encouraged to get involved and contribute your ideas to the future management of the park while supporting the protection of its important environmental and cultural values.

Register for updates

To register your interest in this project, please complete and submit the form.

Read our newsletters for recent updates on the proposed Great Koala National Park.