NSW is already home to some of Australia’s most spectacular protected landscapes, from ancient rainforests and alpine wilderness to rugged coastlines, wild trails and towering forests. Now, an ambitious new proposal could see the state gain its largest national park yet. The campaign, spearheaded by the National Parks Association of NSW (NPA), is calling for the creation of a vast new Great Southern Forest National Park that would protect almost 1.2 million hectares of bushland across the state’s south. If approved, the proposed park would combine existing national parks with dozens of state forests and reserves, creating a vast protected area of lush forest, wildlife habitat and incredible scenery stretching across much of the NSW South Coast. Here’s what we know about the proposal so far.
What is the Great Southern Forest National Park?
The proposal would bring together a patchwork of protected bushland across the South Coast into one connected national park, incorporating 55 state forests and flora reserves alongside existing national park land. The proposed reserve would stretch from the Illawarra to the Victorian border, encompassing a vast swathe of forests, wilderness and protected landscapes across southern NSW. If approved, the resulting reserve would become the largest national park in NSW and create a sprawling corridor of habitat for native wildlife.
The proposed park would help protect important ecosystems and water catchments while safeguarding habitat for threatened species, including the greater glider and yellow-bellied glider. Parts of the proposed park were also heavily affected by the Black Summer bushfires and have only recently begun to recover.
Several well-known forests would fall within the proposed boundaries, including Mogo, Tallaganda and North Brooman State Forest, home to the giant spotted gum known as Big Spotty. The proposal has been decades in the making, with calls for greater protection of the region’s forests dating back to the 1970s. It will now be put to the NSW Government for consideration, although there is no guarantee the park will proceed. If approved, the Great Southern Forest National Park would surpass Kosciuszko National Park as the state’s largest national park and become one of the biggest protected areas in the country.
Read more about the proposal on National Parks Association of NSW.
