Petition backs move to save Link Road Forest from housing
A 574-hectare Newcastle forest is facing clearance to build 4200 homes. A major petition about this is heading to Parliament.
The Link Road Forest is a 574-hectare patch of bushland in Newcastle's western suburbs. The forest is set for residential development to help the state meet housing targets.
The Hunter Workers union has joined the campaign to preserve it. The union argues that urgent housing need cannot override environmental protection.
A petition with almost 10,500 signatures will be tabled in Parliament this week. It calls on the state government to buy the land and preserve it as a national park.
The forest is home to 17 threatened species. The NSW government took over the rezoning in January to speed up the Eden Estates housing project.
This project alone will deliver 4200 new homes. The state set Newcastle a five-year target of 11,100 new homes by 2029.
This is more than double the number built locally from 2017 to 2022.
- 574 hectares
- Forest size
- 4200
- Planned homes
- Almost 10,500
- Petition signatures
- 17
- Threatened species
Why it mattersIf the forest is cleared, it will be lost permanently. The petition shows strong community opposition to the trade-off between housing and conservation.
AustraliaNSW residents face the choice between housing supply targets and environmental protection; this decision will shape how Newcastle grows for decades.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 6 d ago
