Rahul Somvanshi
New South Wales has taken the final legislative step to establish the Great Koala National Park, creating what will be Australia’s largest protected area dedicated to koalas when it opens before the end of 2026.
The NSW Parliament passed the legislation on October 23 after more than a decade of campaigning by conservation and community groups. The new park on the state’s Mid North Coast will cover about 475,000 hectares. That includes roughly 178,000 hectares of state forest, alongside existing national parks and reserves.
The legislation turns an earlier government commitment into a permanent park. In 2025, NSW announced the proposed boundaries and a logging moratorium across affected forests. The Great Koala National Park now moves into its establishment phase, with the government aiming to open it by year’s end.
A refuge for one of NSW’s biggest koala populations
The park is intended to protect habitat for an estimated 12,000 koalas, as well as a broader network of forests used by greater gliders, yellow-bellied gliders, glossy black-cockatoos and other threatened wildlife. Its scale matters because the Mid North Coast holds one of the state’s most important remaining koala populations.
Koalas in NSW were listed as endangered in 2022. Habitat clearing, fragmentation, disease, drought and bushfire have all put pressure on populations. Creating a continuous protected landscape is intended to reduce one of the most persistent risks: the loss and break-up of mature eucalyptus forest.
The change is also significant for communities around the park. The earlier proposal drew concern from parts of the timber industry over jobs and wood supply, while conservation groups argued that delaying protection would place vital habitat at further risk. The legislation settles the park’s legal status, but the transition away from native-forest logging and the management arrangements will remain closely watched.
For readers following Karmactive’s earlier report on the Great Koala National Park proposal, this is the key update: the park has moved from a pledged boundary and moratorium to legislation passed by Parliament.
When will the Great Koala National Park open? NSW plans for the park to open before the end of 2026. Its boundaries cover around 475,000 hectares, including about 178,000 hectares of state forests.
The Great Koala National Park gives NSW a rare chance to protect a large, connected area of koala habitat. Its success will now depend on how quickly the legal decision becomes on-the-ground protection and long-term care for Country and wildlife.
