Protect NSW native forests

We all need trees - to breathe, to belong, to survive.

Trees clean the air, cool our towns, store carbon, help safeguard water and give wildlife a place to feed, shelter and raise their young.

But in NSW public forests, native forest logging continues to remove mature trees and fragment critical habitat.

These trees are worth more standing. They are homes for koalas, greater gliders, glossy black-cockatoos and owls. Forests are living places of culture, memory and connection. They are part of the climate solution, and part of the future we want for our children.

NSW can choose a better path. We can end public native forest logging, now and for good. NSW can invest in a planned, funded and fair transition for workers, regional communities and industry toward sustainable timber supply, restoration and future-focused jobs. With decisions made in partnership with First Nations rights-holders and guided by First Nations leadership, Indigenous knowledge, science and community voices.

Send a message to your NSW MP today. Ask them to protect NSW public native forests by putting an end to native forest logging — for wildlife, climate, communities and generations to come.

Your voice matters

By sending your message, you’re helping show NSW leaders that people want native forests to stay standing — for nature, people and generations to come.

Together, we can call for:

An end to logging public native forests in NSW, with clear timelines and strong protections for wildlife.
A planned, funded and fair transition for workers, regional communities and industry toward sustainable plantations, forest restoration and future-focused jobs.
Decisions made in partnership with First Nations rights-holders and guided by First Nations leadership, Indigenous knowledge, science and community voices.
Protection and restoration of critical habitat for threatened species, including koalas, greater gliders, glossy black cockatoos and other iconic wildlife.
A future where native forests are valued for clean air, carbon storage, water, wildlife, culture, connection and climate resilience.

Greater glider poking its head out of a tree hollow in a patch of old-growth forest in Munruben, Logan City, south of Brisbane

Greater glider poking its head out of a tree hollow in a patch of old-growth forest © Josh Bowell

Wildlife

Native forests are homes. Koalas, wombats, greater gliders, glossy black cockatoos and countless other species rely on mature trees for food, shelter, hollows and connected habitat.
When native forests are logged or cleared, wildlife lose more than trees – they lose the places they need to survive. Mature forests cannot simply be replaced. Hollows can take many decades to form, and connected canopies are essential for animals to move safely through the landscape.
Protecting native forests is one of the most powerful ways we can protect Australia’s unique wildlife and give threatened species a chance to recover.

Aunty Sharron mirii Bell, proud Gamilaraay and Wiradjuri woman, children’s performer and educator at Banksia Walk, Bribie Island © WWF-Australia / Vanessa Barnett

First Nations

First Nations connection to Country stretches back tens of thousands of years. Forests are living places of culture, knowledge, story, food, medicine, ceremony and care. Protecting forests is fundamental to First Nations self-determination because healthy Country enables Traditional Owners to maintain cultural practices, exercise their rights and responsibilities, and make decisions about land management according to their own knowledge systems and priorities. Supporting Traditional Owner authority and community-led stewardship helps ensure forests are cared for through generations of cultural knowledge, strengthening both ecological outcomes and the enduring connection between people, culture and Country.

Close up aerial view of machinery logging in Tallaganda State Forest, NSW.

Communities

Healthy forests protect all of us. They cool towns, clean the air, protect drinking water, store carbon, support local tourism and create places where people can walk, play, rest and reconnect. Native forests are part of what makes Australia feel like home. They are the backdrop to childhood memories, family holidays, bushwalks and quiet moments in nature. They also help communities become more resilient in a changing climate. When we keep native forests standing, we strengthen the systems that keep our planet and our communities healthy. Protecting our native forests means protecting life, culture and connection, now and for generations to come.

How does my message make a difference?

Your voice matters, and your local representative should listen to what you care about. Decision-makers are more likely to act when they can see that people across the community care. Voices coming together can help create momentum, show broad public support and give leaders confidence to make informed decisions for forests, wildlife and the communities they represent. By coming together in an organised petition like this you also become part of a movement of people advocating for forests and wildlife that can’t speak up for themselves. Top tip: adding a personal note to your message is even more powerful.

What is native forest logging?

Native forest logging is the harvesting of trees from naturally occurring forests, rather than from plantations planted specifically for timber production. Native forests are complex living ecosystems that provide habitat for wildlife, store carbon, protect water and hold cultural significance. Many mature native forests cannot simply be recreated once they are lost.

Who will receive my message?

Your message will be sent to your local NSW MP. WWF-Australia may also use the combined number of supporters, postcodes and public messages to show decision-makers that people across NSW want stronger protection for native forests and wildlife habitat.