Link Road Forest petition draws 10,450 signatures for national park status
Over 10,450 residents have petitioned for Link Road Forest to become a national park. But NSW says the land isn't for sale.
The Save Link Road Forest campaign sent a petition to the NSW Legislative Council. The petition asks the state to buy 574 hectares of bushland and add it to the National Reserve system.
A developer is pushing to rezone the site for 4,200 homes, one of the largest Hunter land rezonings in decades. NSW Environment Minister Penny Sharpe said the National Parks and Wildlife Service buys land from willing sellers.
This property is not on offer. The forest is home to koalas, squirrel gliders, powerful owls and glossy black cockatoos.
The developer says it won't sell but proposes a Biodiversity Stewardship Agreement to protect part of the site while allowing development.
- 10,450
- Petition signatures
- 574 hectares
- Bushland area
- 4,200
- Proposed homes
Why it mattersThe outcome will decide if one of Newcastle's most biodiverse bushlands survives as protected habitat or gets cleared for homes.
AustraliaNSW conservation policy will decide if threatened species in Newcastle's western suburbs get protected forest or lose habitat to urban expansion.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 4 h ago
Open this story in InSnip →
