NSW national park proposals controversy

In late July 2026, the National Parks Association of New South Wales put forward the Great Southern Forest National Park plan, aiming to protect about 1.2 million hectares from the Illawarra to the Victorian border. Local politicians and industry groups warned that the proposal could eliminate 80‑100 direct forestry jobs and cause wider layoffs across the supply chain, framing the initiative as a threat to the South Coast economy and hunting access.

A week later, the state government advanced a separate initiative, the Great Koala National Park, submitting it to the Clean Energy Regulator for inclusion in the Improved Forest Management carbon‑credit scheme. The plan would halt logging on 176,000 hectares, linking to existing parks to form a 476,000‑hectare reserve for koalas, gliders and other threatened species, while allocating carbon credits to targeted manufacturing. Motorsport Australia raised concerns that the rezoning could restrict rally stages and other public‑land uses, prompting consultations on maintaining sport access.

Both proposals illustrate a broader debate in New South Wales over large‑scale conservation designations, balancing ecological protection and carbon‑credit opportunities against job security in the forestry sector and community recreation rights.