VALUES OF VISITATION TO NSW NATIONAL PARKS OUTWEIGH LOGGING

 In a media release issued on April 22 the North East Forest Alliance called for the NSW Government to stop logging State Forests and protect them as National Parks in light of the latest visitation statistics which show that national parks attract millions of visitors to regional areas, injecting billions of dollars into regional economies and generating thousands of jobs.

The Government identifies that the 65.6 million visits to NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) parks last year injected $19.5 billion into the state’s economy and supported 62,000 jobs.

National Parks in north-east NSW, north from Gosford, attracted 14.9 million visits last year. With 22.8% of NSW’s visitation, on a pro-rata basis, national parks in north-east NSW are responsible for injecting around $4.4 billion into the regional economy and supporting some 14,100 regional jobs.

“Conservation groups have fought hard over many decades to create most of our national parks, so it is reassuring to see that our efforts have been good for the environment and regional economies," North East Forest Alliance spokesperson Dailan Pugh said.

“Visitation to National Parks is rapidly increasing, over the past decade growing 25% in north east NSW. Creating new parks will increase future recreational opportunities.

“Because of their outstanding biodiversity, State Forests in north-east NSW have been identified by the Commonwealth as the highest national priorities for addition to the reserve system to satisfy the Global Biodiversity Framework target to protect 30% of Australia by 2030.

“Last year we lost $32 million logging our public native forests to prop-up a declining industry being out competed by cheaper plantation timber.

“Its time we stopped logging and degrading our public native forests as it is in the community’s best interests to protect them and allow them to recover.

“Recovering native forests will provide improved visitor experiences, while restoring animal habitats, sequestering and storing CO₂ out of harm’s way, reducing fire risk, increasing stream flows, and reducing flood peaks” Mr.Pugh said.

 

THE VALUE OF NATIONAL PARKS

 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.