New South Wales Parliament creates the Great Koala National Park on the Mid North Coast

23 October 2026

The Parliament of New South Wales passed legislation creating the Great Koala National Park. The park covers 478,000 hectares between Kempsey and Grafton on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales. It joins existing national parks with more than 178,000 hectares of state forest and Crown land. The Legislative Council debated the bill for more than 14 hours and considered about 160 amendments. NSW Environment Minister Penny Sharpe called it a defining moment for conservation in the state. Timber industry representatives said the logging ban would hurt the sector. Campaigners had pressed for the park for more than a decade.