By Professor David Lindenmayer, Dr. Chris Taylor and Sarah Rees
National parks are places of stunning natural beauty; they stand as enduring symbols of national pride and heritage. National parks reflect a country’s commitment to conserving its most cherished landscapes and ecosystems, ensuring that they remain protected for both present and future generations to experience. By designating such places as national parks, we reaffirm our deep respect for nature, and our responsibility to maintain these special places for public enjoyment, cultural preservation, scientific research, and ecological conservation.
However, in Victoria, the legacy of national parks is now under threat, with claims that national parks ‘exclude people’ or ‘lock people out’. Some people have even propagated conspiracy theories suggesting that national parks are an ‘insidious plan’ for government control over people. Additionally, unfounded assertions have been made that these parks increase the risk of bushfires and contribute to the spread of weeds and invasive species. These claims lack credible evidence and fail to recognise the true purpose of national parks; that is, to protect invaluable ecosystems and significant sites while providing essential places for public enjoyment and recreation.
Recently, misleading claims have been made about the proposed Great Forest National Park. Some contend that this park will restrict access for families, and outdoor enthusiasts. Nothing could be further from the truth. As we have spent decades working in and researching the forests of the Great Forest National Park, we would like to share the true vision of the Great Forest National Park.
It is not solely about conservation—although crucial—it is also a park for people, families, and visitors from abroad. It’s a place where we can all celebrate one of the most spectacular forests on Earth – the critically endangered Mountain Ash forest!
The idea for the Great Forest National Park emerged from the local community in the Shires of the Yarra Valley and Murrindindi, particularly from those affected by the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires. Following these tragic fires, some in the media and politics misrepresented forest protection efforts as a cause of the disaster, briefly devaluing the forests and enabling loggers to move in and cut unburnt areas. However, the community pushed back, reimagining these forests as places of ecological, social, cultural and economic diversity—far more valuable than a cheap resource for the logging industry. The vision for the park identified ways for people to connect with these world-class forests and generate economic growth for struggling local towns. Economic evaluations show that the creation of the Great Forest National Park would generate 750 new local jobs, attract 379,000 additional visitors, and contribute at least $40 million to the local economy annually.
National parks are not only crucial for species conservation, especially as nature faces unprecedented climate challenges, but they also act as powerful economic drivers, offering globally recognised tourism opportunities that state forests do not. With larger management budgets and a formal commitment to recreation, national parks remain open and accessible to the public. In contrast, state forests can be restricted due to logging or mining activities, often enforced by legislation like the Safety on Public Lands Act, which allows roads to be gated off and imposes legal penalties on trespassers. Unlike national parks, state forests do not guarantee public access—in fact, quite the opposite.
While some argue that state forests provide recreational spaces, they were originally established for industry, not conservation or broad public enjoyment. Recreational activities in state forests, such as four-wheel driving and deer hunting, cater to specific groups, but often these areas lack inclusive facilities—Big River State Forest, for instance, offers no walking tracks for hikers. The proposed Great Forest National Park aims to fill this gap by providing accessible nature experiences for families, hikers, and adventure seekers, with facilities designed to accommodate people of all ages and abilities, including those with disabilities.
The Great Forest National Park is a proactive response to the ever-increasing demands on existing national parks, especially around Melbourne. It is critical to expand these park areas. Parks Victoria reports that there were nearly 55 million visits to Victorian parks last year alone, with the popular Ferntree Gully picnic area in the Dandenong Ranges National Park itself seeing nearly a quarter of a million visits, a 53 per cent increase in visitation from the previous year. This increase is of no surprise, considering that Melbourne’s greater area population has grown by 1.5 million people since 2001 (more than the current population of Adelaide), with more people seeking access to nature.
To meet the increasing demand for nature experiences, the Victorian government must also consider the financial sustainability of national parks. Past funding cuts to Parks Victoria risk undermining its ability to maintain environmental protection and service delivery. Parks Victoria plays a vital role in the community and in the economy, with visitors to national parks and other parks spending $1.4 billion annually on park-related activities, generating $1 billion in gross value added and supporting 14,000 jobs to the state’s economy. The value people derive from visiting parks is estimated at between $600 million and $1 billion annually. This highlights the urgent need for secure funding to ensure that parks continue to provide these invaluable benefits.
It’s natural to be wary of change, but we need to ask ourselves what kind of future we want for our forests and our communities. The Great Forest National Park represents a balanced approach: protecting Victoria’s unique natural heritage while providing modern infrastructure and economic opportunities for local towns and businesses.
We invite you to explore what the Great Forest National Park really offers. This is more than just a park—it’s a shared vision for a future where nature, adventure, and community can thrive together. Let’s embrace this opportunity to make the Great Forest National Park a place for everyone.
