More than 10,000 back Link Road Forest national park push

newy.com.au – More than 10,000 people have signed a NSW parliamentary petition calling for bushland near the Newcastle Link Road to be protected as a national park, prompting campaigners to step up pressure on Lower Hunter MPs.

The Legislative Council e-petition attracted 10,436 signatures during its 84-day run. The Link Road Forest Campaign will now write to the region’s seven Labor lower-house MPs and independent Lake Macquarie MP and Speaker Greg Piper seeking their support.

Organisers are also awaiting a response from NSW Environment Minister Penny Sharpe. The petition is not binding on the government, but campaign spokesperson Dominique de Gail said its level of support should command the attention of local representatives.

“Signing petitions is part of the democratic process and more than 10,000 signatures warrants these politicians’ attention,” Ms de Gail said.

The campaign wants the area it calls Link Road Forest protected from housing development and incorporated into the national parks system. It argues the remnant bushland has important wildlife habitat, cultural and recreational values and should be retained as the Lower Hunter’s population grows.

Ms de Gail said the site represented one of Newcastle’s last opportunities to secure a substantial area of high-quality public green space. Campaigners also argue its tree cover helps reduce local temperatures and gives residents space for exercise and time in nature.

Awabakal Traditional Owners publicly backed the campaign last week. An Awabakal spokesperson warned that housing development on the land would contribute to a “death-by-a-thousand-cuts” loss of Country, including remnant bushland, cultural values and wildlife habitat.

Although the petition was lodged in the upper house, organisers are targeting lower-house MPs because any decision to reserve the land as national park would require state government support.

The next step will be the government’s response and whether Ms Sharpe agrees to examine the national park proposal. The petition itself does not change the land’s status or prevent development.