How are national parks created?
Each year we acquire land to develop our national parks system. This land may be used to create a new park or add to an already established park.
All land suggested for new or additional park land is assessed and approved before it is acquired. Land is acquired and reserved under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974.
Land may be reserved under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974 as national park, nature reserve, state conservation area, regional park, Aboriginal area, historic site or karst conservation reserve. We use the word park to refer to any of these areas.
All national parks and reserves in NSW (PDF 431KB).
New parks and additions
New parks and additions to existing parks are created through land acquired by purchase, donation or transfer.
Land recently acquired
Land we acquire can take time to reserve as park because of administrative processes or impediments to reservation that need to be resolved. Land acquired through transfer can often be reserved as park immediately.
Our list of recent acquisitions includes land we have acquired over the last year but has not yet been reserved.
We welcome advice and community involvement in land acquisitions.
Email the Reserve Establishment Unit about matters you think we should know about before any specific land is reserved, such as access to neighbouring properties.
Revocations
Sometimes land reserved for parks is revoked.
Affected parks are listed in Schedule 2 (Revocation of reservation or dedication of certain land) of the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974.
Revocation of a reserve or part of a reserve is guided by the Revocation, Recategorisation and Road Adjustment Policy.