A recent visit to the Washpool National Park has reminded me again of the importance of these areas for biodiversity protection and the health of the natural world. In Australia and elsewhere biodiversity is increasingly under threat from multiple sources including urban and agricultural expansion, feral pests and the accelerating impacts climate change. Our national parks and nature reserves provide a greater safeguard for what remains of our biodiversity than do other areas across the general landscape.
Washpool National Park, part of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area, was created in 1983 after a study found the area contained significant plant and animal populations that either were not found anywhere else in the state or were not well-protected in reserves.
Its creation resulted from a political decision by the state government. This decision did not happen in isolation but followed action by community members recognising the ecological value of the area and their campaign to protect it from logging. They were strongly opposed by the timber industry and some Grafton locals warning that if logging of the coachwood timber was not allowed, Grafton would become a ghost town.
Grafton obviously did not become a ghost town following the creation of this magnificent national park. As well as protecting important ecosystems and their biodiversity, it has provided locals and visitors from further afield with a wonderful place for camping, hiking, picnicking, birdwatching and relaxing in a diverse natural area.
Those opposing the creation of the Great Koala National Park (GKNP) have made similar warnings about the “ghost town” effect on the region’s economy. Obviously there will be a difficult transition period for timber industry workers even though the state government has negotiated a worker support package for those directly impacted by the changes.
A years’-long strong community campaign to protect koalas and other threatened species has led to the government commitment to create the GKNP. When it is gazetted, it will provide greater protection for important ecosystems and threatened biodiversity as well as increased opportunities for the development of nature-based tourism.
- Leonie Blain
Published in the Voices for the Earth column in The Clarence Valley Independent , 19 November, 2025.
