November 30th, 2025Three new national parks and two conservation parks in Vic central west

Environment groups are celebrating the creation of three new national parks and two conservation parks by the state government in Victoria’s central west.
Legislation passed the Legislative Council on November 18 to create the Wombat-Lerderderg, Mount Buangor and Pyrenees national parks along with the Hepburn and Cobaw conservation parks. The Wellsford State Forest has been reclassified as a regional park. Wombat Forestcare members have been campaigning for greater protection of Wombat Forest for 15 years, and park status is a recognition of the very high conservation and catchment values of the forest. Over that time, Wombat Forestcare, working with the Victorian National Parks Association, has lobbied the state government to protect these forests in parks. Wombat Forestcare convenor Gayle Osborne, pictured with the ‘Yes Park’ sign, said the forests exist in a landscape that has been highly cleared of native vegetation and represent incredibly important habitat for the persistence of very many threatened plants, animals and fungi. “This is a massive step for the protection of the amazing and wonderful plants, animals and fungi that inhabit our forests. “We congratulate the state government for legislating these parks. National parks are the cornerstone of biodiversity conservation in Australia, and the creation of these parks will ensure that these forests are safeguarded for future generations.” The Wombat Forest is a stronghold for the protection of threatened native fauna and flora including the greater glider, powerful owl, brush-tailed phascogale and the endemic Wombat leafless bossiaea.
Th e park will also protect the Wombat Forest as a water catchment with the headwaters of seven major river systems contained in the forest, and the value the forest provides in terms of ecosystem services and carbon sequestration.
Image: Sandy Scheltema