Great Koala National Park approved in NSW

September 08, 2025

Australian conservation groups are celebrating a landmark victory after the NSW Government confirmed the long-awaited Great Koala National Park (GKNP) will officially go ahead on the Mid-North Coast of New South Wales.

In a major announcement, Premier Chris Minns declared a temporary moratorium on logging within the park boundaries effective 8 September 2025. Alongside the moratorium, the government revealed the final park boundary and unveiled a $146 million funding package to establish the reserve, support local forestry workers, and invest in regional communities.

A generational win for koalas and forests

The fight for the GKNP has spanned decades, with conservationists working tirelessly to protect critical koala habitat near Coffs Harbour. The idea of a dedicated national park for koalas first surfaced more than ten years ago, but momentum surged after the catastrophic 2019–20 Black Summer bushfires, which devastated koala populations across the east coast.

Pressure further mounted when the koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) was officially listed as endangered in 2022, sparking urgent calls for stronger habitat protection.

The new GKNP will cover 176,000 hectares of state forest and link with existing reserves to form a massive 476,000-hectare protected area—one of the largest national parks in NSW. The park is expected to safeguard around 20% of the state’s surviving koala population, spanning Clarence Valley, Bellingen Shire, Coffs Harbour, Nambucca Valley, and Kempsey Shire.

“This is about turning the tide on koala extinction,” Premier Minns said. “We’re protecting these forests while making sure workers, businesses, and communities are supported.”

Protecting biodiversity hotspots

Environment Minister Penny Sharpe highlighted that the GKNP will protect far more than koalas. The park encompasses old-growth forests listed among the world’s top biodiversity hotspots, providing habitat for more than 100 threatened species, including:

• Southern greater glider (Petauroides volans)
• Powerful owl (Ninox strenua)
• Spotted-tailed quoll (Dasyurus maculatus)
• Rufous bettong (Aepyprymnus rufescens)
• Sooty owl (Tyto tenebricosa)
• Rufous scrub-bird (Atrichornis rufescens)


“These forests are irreplaceable. This decision ensures koalas and countless other species survive into the future,” Sharpe said.

Conservationists applaud historic decision

The announcement has been hailed as one of the most significant conservation wins in a generation.

• National Parks Association praised the move as vital for koalas, gliders, and clean water catchments while also opening opportunities for eco-tourism.
• Wilderness Society called the GKNP “a fighting chance for koalas’ survival.”
• Nature Conservation Council NSW welcomed the “evidence-based decision” after decades of advocacy.
• Greens MP Sue Higginson said the result belongs to “communities, First Nations leaders, scientists, and forest defenders who never gave up.”

Wilderness Australia described it as the biggest forest protection milestone in 25 years, while the North East Forest Alliance estimated the GKNP will protect 12,000 koalas, allowing their populations to recover as habitats regenerate.

Challenges ahead

Despite the celebrations, conservation groups stressed there is still much work to be done. Critics pointed to ongoing deforestation in southern NSW, where native forests continue to be logged primarily for woodchipping, with state-owned companies fined millions for breaches since 2020.

“Protecting the Great Koala National Park is an extraordinary step,” said South East Forest Rescue’s Scott Daines, “but destruction continues elsewhere, and the fight for our forests isn’t over.”