Newcastle councillors back Link Road Forest national park proposal in Tuesday nights meeting

newy.com.au – Newcastle councillors voted on Tuesday 16 December 2025 to back a community proposal for a 574-hectare national park in the Link Road Forest on the city’s western fringe.

The push comes as the NSW Government progresses a state-led rezoning for about 4,200 homes on land at 144 Boundary Road, Wallsend, known in planning documents as Eden Estates, which would shift planning control from council to the state.

The Link Road Forest Campaign said a notice of motion lodged by eight councillors formally endorsing the national park proposal was supported by all councillors except the two Liberal councillors.

“Link Road Forest Campaign supporters are thrilled by broad support coming from across the various political groupings that make up the Council,” campaign spokesperson Helen Smith said.

Smith said the vote showed the proposal “is not a ‘pie in the sky’ dream by a marginalised group” and argued it could be justified “on social and economic as well as environmental grounds”.

City of Newcastle’s meeting summary said council supported a notice of motion to write to the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, the Minister for the Environment and relevant agencies seeking a joint meeting with the Lord Mayor or Deputy Lord Mayor, Councillor Elizabeth Adamczyk, council’s Director of Planning and Environment, and Link Road Forest Campaign representatives to discuss the national park proposal.

The campaign release said the adopted motion also asked for council’s Guraki Committee to consider names for the area, and for staff reports summarising the benefits of a national park and potential funding opportunities from biodiversity offset credits linked to the Hunter Transmission Project.

The campaign said 80% of the forest sits within the state electorate of Wallsend, represented by Sonia Hornery, with the remaining 20% in Cessnock, represented by Clayton Barr. The forest spans both the City of Newcastle and Lake Macquarie local government areas

Smith said it was now up to the community to “show overwhelming support and convince the State Government that the best use for this native forest is for a national park”, as the state-led rezoning process continues.