| Great Koala National Park | |
|---|---|
| Location | North Coast of New South Wales, Australia |
| Area | 476,000 ha (1,840 sq mi) [1] |
| Created | 2026 |
| Owner | NSW Government |
| Website | Creating the Great Koala National Park – information and updates |
The Great Koala National Park is a proposed national park in New South Wales, Australia which aims to create a sanctuary for koalas as they are an endangered native species. On its proposed boundaries, the national park will be located on the North Coast of New South Wales passing through towns including Kempsey, Nambucca Heads, Coffs Harbour, Woolgoolga and Sawtell. The boundaries are due to be formalised in the government gazette in 2026. The government is creating this national park in order to fulfil an election commitment made in 2023.
In January 2015, then Labor leader Luke Foley announced a plan to create a Great Koala National Park and hold a koala summit during that year's state election campaign. [2] [3] They were not elected to government so the plan did not commence.
The plan was proposed again in 2019 during that year's state election campaign by the Labor Party under then leader Michael Daley, this plan did not progress as the party were not elected to government. [4]
The current iteration of the Great Koala National Park was proposed again by the New South Wales Labor Party during the 2023 state election campaign in addition to a koala summit that would formulate a strategy to revitalise the species. [5] The Labor Party was elected to government with Chris Minns as premier and Penny Sharpe as environment minister so planning for the new national park commenced. [6]
Planning for the new national park was funded in the 2023 state budget and the government is investing a further $66 million to kick-start the project. [7] Logging in the proposed area has ceased from 8 September following the government's announcement of the park's proposed boundaries. [7] The state government is also considering leveraging the powers of the federal government to utilise their carbon credits scheme for this project. [7] Legislation will be required for the full formalisation of the boundaries. [7]
Criticism was levied at the government as they had committed to the idea yet continued to allow logging in the area that would be used for the national park between the time of the Labor Party's election to government and the announcement of the proposed boundaries. [8] [9] [10]
The timber industry has vehemently criticised the proposal while environmental groups have praised the idea. [11]
Minns has cited koalas nearing extinction as a strong reason to invest in this project. [7] The government expects this new park will generate an extra $163 million for the state's economy through tourism revenue. [7]
Some opposition MPs had reservations but supported the idea as a whole, while National party leader Dugald Saunders outright rejected the proposal for its effect on the logging industry. [11]
Labor would also create a national park for koalas in south-western Sydney and have committed to the Great Koala National Park on the North Coast, if elected.
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