{"id":"nsw:act-1983-037","name":"Forestry Revocation and National Parks Reservation Act 1983","slug":"forestry-revocation-and-national-parks-reservation-act-1983","collection":"act","jurisdiction":"nsw","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":"37 of 1983","makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":107749,"registerId":"nsw-act-1983-037-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-03","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Name of Act","content":"#### 1 Name of Act\n\n1 Name of Act\n\n> This Act may be cited as the [Forestry Revocation and National Parks Reservation Act 1983](/view/html/inforce/current/act-1983-037).","sortOrder":0},{"sectionNumber":"2","sectionType":"section","heading":"Revocation of certain State forests, including part of the Nightcap National Forest","content":"#### 2 Revocation of certain State forests, including part of the Nightcap National Forest\n\n2 Revocation of certain State forests, including part of the Nightcap National Forest\n\n> The dedications as State forests or parts of State forests of the lands described in Schedule 1, including part of the Nightcap National Forest, are revoked.","sortOrder":1},{"sectionNumber":"3","sectionType":"section","heading":"Revocation of certain other State forests","content":"#### 3 Revocation of certain other State forests\n\n3 Revocation of certain other State forests\n\n> The dedications as State forests or parts of State forests of the lands described in Schedule 2 are revoked.","sortOrder":2},{"sectionNumber":"4","sectionType":"section","heading":"Revocation of flora reserves","content":"#### 4 Revocation of flora reserves\n\n4 Revocation of flora reserves\n\n> The notices described in Schedule 3 are revoked.","sortOrder":3},{"sectionNumber":"5","sectionType":"section","heading":"Reservation of lands as national parks or as parts of national parks","content":"#### 5 Reservation of lands as national parks or as parts of national parks\n\n5 Reservation of lands as national parks or as parts of national parks\n\n> > (1) The lands described in Schedule 1 are reserved as a national park to be known as the “Nightcap National Park”.\n> \n> > (2) The lands described in Part 1 of Schedule 2 are reserved as a national park to be known as the “Washpool National Park”.\n> \n> > (3) The lands described in Part 2 of Schedule 2 are reserved as part of the Border Ranges National Park.\n> \n> > (4) The land described in Part 3 of Schedule 2 is reserved as part of the New England National Park.","sortOrder":4},{"sectionNumber":"6","sectionType":"section","heading":"Ancillary provisions","content":"#### 6 Ancillary provisions\n\n6 Ancillary provisions\n\n> Schedule 4 has effect.","sortOrder":5},{"sectionNumber":"Schedule 1","sectionType":"schedule","heading":"Nightcap National Park","content":"# Schedule 1 Nightcap National Park\n\nSchedule 1\n\n(Sections 2, 5 (1))\n\nNightcap National Park\n\nGoonimbar State Forest\n\n(including part of Nightcap National Forest)\n\nAll that piece or parcel of land containing about 3 197 hectares situate in the Shire of Tweed and the City of Lismore, Parishes of Gooninbar, Terania and Whian Whian, County of Rous, being the balance of Goonimbar State Forest No 344, dedicated by proclamation published in the Gazette of 23 February 1917 (being also part of Nightcap National Forest No 2, notified in the Gazette of 23 October 1936) and Extensions Nos 1 and 2 thereto, dedicated by proclamations published in the Gazettes of 4 July 1952 and 8 May 1970, respectively.\n\nPart Whian Whian State Forest\n\n(including part of Nightcap National Forest)\n\nAll that piece or parcel of land containing about 1 080 hectares situate in the Shires of Byron and Tweed and the City of Lismore, Parishes of Gooninbar and Whian Whian, County of Rous, being part of Whian Whian State Forest No 173, dedicated by proclamation in the Gazette of 28 October 1914, part of Whian Whian State Forest No 173, East Extension, dedicated by proclamation published in the Gazette of 16 February 1917 (being also parts of Nightcap National Forest No 2, notified in the Gazette of 23 October 1936) and Whian Whian State Forest No 173, No 9 Extension, dedicated by proclamation published in the Gazette of 21 May 1976, and being the land so dedicated delineated by hatched edging on the diagram catalogued Misc F 308 in the Forestry Commission of New South Wales subject to any variations or exceptions noted on that diagram.","sortOrder":6},{"sectionNumber":"Schedule 2","sectionType":"schedule","heading":null,"content":"# Schedule 2\n\nSchedule 2\n\n(Sections 3, 5 (2)–(4))","sortOrder":7},{"sectionNumber":"Part 1","sectionType":"part","heading":"Washpool National Park","content":"# Part 1 Washpool National Park\n\nPart 1 Washpool National Park\n\nDandahra Creek State Forest\n\nAll that piece or parcel of land containing about 1 245 hectares situate in the Shire of Severn, Parish of Richmond, County of Drake, being the balance of Dandahra Creek State Forest No 353, No 3 Extension, dedicated by proclamation published in the Gazette of 13 December 1968.\n\nPart Moogem State Forest\n\nAll that piece or parcel of land containing about 6 000 hectares situate in the Shires of Severn and Tenterfield, Parishes of Bajimba and Moogem, County of Clive, being the part of Moogem State Forest No 614, dedicated by proclamation published in the Gazette of 21 December 1917, within the Parishes of Bajimba and Moogem and Extensions Nos 6, 7 and 8 thereto, dedicated by proclamations published in the Gazettes of 18 April 1969, 21 May 1976, and 13 August 1976, respectively.\n\nPart Washpool State Forest\n\nAll that piece or parcel of land containing about 16 200 hectares situate in the Shires of Copmanhurst and Severn, Parishes of Albert, Plevna and Richmond, County of Drake, being part of Washpool State Forest No 355, dedicated by proclamation published in the Gazette of 2 March 1917, part of No 1 Extension thereto, No 2 Extension thereto and part of No 3 Extension thereto, dedicated by proclamations published in the Gazettes of 19 October 1923, and 6 September 1968, respectively, and being the land so dedicated delineated by hatched edging on the diagram catalogued Misc F 309 in the Forestry Commission of New South Wales.","sortOrder":8},{"sectionNumber":"Part 2","sectionType":"part","heading":"Addition to Border Ranges National Park","content":"# Part 2 Addition to Border Ranges National Park\n\nPart 2 Addition to Border Ranges National Park\n\nPart Mount Lindesay State Forest\n\nAll that piece or parcel of land containing about 250 hectares situate in the Shire of Kyogle, Parish of Unumgar, County of Rous, being the part of Mount Lindesay State Forest No 542, dedicated by proclamation published in the Gazette of 10 August 1917, shown by hatching on the diagram catalogued Misc F 307 in the Forestry Commission of New South Wales.\n\nRoseberry State Forest\n\nAll that piece or parcel of land containing about 15 422 hectares situate in the Shire of Kyogle, Parishes of Cougal, Findon, Loadstone and Unumgar, County of Rous, being the balance of Roseberry State Forest No 608, dedicated by proclamation published in the Gazette of 16 November 1917, and Extensions Nos 1, 2 and 3 thereto, dedicated by proclamations published in the Gazettes of 23 November 1973, 30 April 1982, and 21 January 1983, respectively.\n\nWiangaree State Forest\n\nAll that piece or parcel of land containing about 14 457 hectares situate in the Shire of Kyogle, Parishes of Cougal, Warrazambil and Worendo, County of Rous, being the balance of Wiangaree State Forest No 358, dedicated by proclamation published in the Gazette of 2 March 1917.","sortOrder":9},{"sectionNumber":"Part 3","sectionType":"part","heading":"Addition to New England National Park","content":"# Part 3 Addition to New England National Park\n\nPart 3 Addition to New England National Park\n\nPart Bellinger River State Forest\n\nAll that piece or parcel of land containing about 6 200 hectares situate in the Shire of Bellingen, Parishes of Dingle and Vautin, County of Raleigh, being part of Bellinger River State Forest No 651, dedicated by proclamation published in the Gazette of 9 August 1918, the balance of No 1 Extension thereto, and Extensions Nos 2 and 3 thereto, dedicated by proclamations published in the Gazettes of 14 August 1931, 26 June 1936, and 26 February 1943, respectively, and being the land so dedicated delineated by hatched edging on the diagram catalogued Misc F 310 in the Forestry Commission of New South Wales.","sortOrder":10},{"sectionNumber":"Schedule 3","sectionType":"schedule","heading":"Mount Lindesay Flora Reserve","content":"# Schedule 3 Mount Lindesay Flora Reserve\n\nSchedule 3\n\n(Section 4)\n\nMount Lindesay Flora Reserve\n\nNotice under section 25A of the [Forestry Act 1916](/view/html/repealed/current/act-1916-055), published in the Gazette of 16 March 1951, setting apart as a flora reserve (now Flora Reserve No 79950) an area of about 117 hectares in the Parish of Unumgar, County of Rous, being part of Mount Lindesay State Forest No 542, dedicated 10 August 1917.\n\nSheepstation Creek Flora Reserve\n\nNotice under section 25A of the Forestry Act, 1916, published in the Gazette of 1 April 1966, setting apart as Flora Reserve No 79945 an area of about 162 hectares in the Parish of Worendo, County of Rous, being part of Wiangaree State Forest No 358, dedicated 2 March 1917.\n\nGradys Creek Flora Reserve\n\nNotice under section 25A of the Forestry Act, 1916, published in the Gazette of 21 December 1973, setting apart as Flora Reserve No 79983 an area of about 1 500 hectares in the Parish of Worendo, County of Rous, being part of Wiangaree State Forest No 358, dedicated 2 March 1917.\n\nLevers Plateau Flora Reserve\n\nNotice under section 25A of the [Forestry Act 1916](/view/html/repealed/current/act-1916-055), published in the Gazette of 13 June 1975, setting apart as Flora Reserve No 79987 an area of about 55 hectares in the Parish of Findon, County of Rous, being part of Roseberry State Forest No 608, dedicated 16 November 1917.\n\nNightcap Track Flora Reserve\n\nNotice under section 25A of the [Forestry Act 1916](/view/html/repealed/current/act-1916-055), published in the Gazette of 19 December 1975, setting apart as Flora Reserve No 79990 an area of about 225 hectares in the Parish of Whian Whian, County of Rous, being the parts of Whian Whian State Forest No 173, East Extension, dedicated 16 February 1917, and Whian Whian State Forest No 173, dedicated 28 October 1914, being also part of Nightcap National Forest No 2 notified in the Gazette of 23 October 1936.\n\nNotice under section 25A of the [Forestry Act 1916](/view/html/repealed/current/act-1916-055), published in the Gazette of 4 March 1977, setting apart as Flora Reserve No 79990, No 1 Extension, an area of about 150 hectares in the Parishes of Gooninbar and Whian Whian, County of Rous, being the whole of Whian Whian State Forest No 173, No 9 Extension, dedicated 21 May 1976.","sortOrder":11},{"sectionNumber":"Schedule 4","sectionType":"schedule","heading":"Ancillary provisions","content":"# Schedule 4 Ancillary provisions\n\nSchedule 4 Ancillary provisions\n\n(Section 6)\n\n**sch 4:** Am 2017 No 17, Sch 4.36.","sortOrder":12}],"analysis":{"issue_detection":{"absurdities":[],"contradictions":[]},"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"A positive credit balance is required for all requests, including BYOK, so fallback providers remain available. Add credits at https://vercel.com/d?to=%2F%5Bteam%5D%2F%7E%2Fai%3Fmodal%3Dtop-up to continue.","source":"analysis-cron"},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The Act's scope remains limited to revoking specified State‑forest dedications and creating national‑park reservations with ancillary transitional and administrative provisions. A 2017 amendment is recorded in Schedule 4 but the core operation—land revocation, reservation and transfer of administration—remains the instrument’s primary and unchanged function."},"complexity_factors":["Interaction with multiple statutes (Forestry Act 1916, National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974, Crown Land Management Act 2016) requiring legal cross‑references (Sch 4)","Detailed cadastre‑style land descriptions across four Schedules (precise parcels, hectares, parishes, diagram references)","Use of deemed‑proclamation legal fiction to effect reservation without separate proclamations (Sch 4 cl 2–3)","Transitional treatment of existing leases, licences and permits and transfer of ministerial powers (Sch 4 cls 4–5)","Saving clause preserving past acts and omissions (Sch 4 cl 6)","Noted later amendment entry (Am 2017 No 17, Sch 4.36) requiring attention to current consolidated text"],"plain_english_summary":"This Act revokes the State‑forest dedications for the specific parcels listed and reserves those lands as national parks (ss 2–5; Schedules 1–2). It treats those reservations as if proclaimed under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974, preserves existing forestry leases while transferring administration to the national‑parks Minister, and saves prior acts and rights (Sch 4 cls 2–6). Who pays: existing leaseholders keep their interests but will be regulated under park law; the Minister acquires decision‑making and administration responsibility."},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The legislation remains tightly focused on its original purpose: the specific land transfer from forestry to national parks status in 1983. The only subsequent amendment noted (2017 No 17, Sch 4.36) appears to be a technical update to cross-references (updating the Crown Lands Act reference to the Crown Land Management Act 2016), which does not expand the substantive scope."},"complexity_factors":["Straightforward sequential structure with only 6 operative sections plus schedules","Minimal defined terms (only 'existing interest' is formally defined in clause 5(1) of Schedule 4)","Simple conditional logic limited to transitional provisions (existing leases remain valid but transfer administration)","Extensive land descriptions in schedules using historical survey references (parishes, counties, Gazette proclamation dates) — these are verbose but not legally complex","Cross-references limited to three external Acts (Forestry Act 1916, National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974, Crown Land Management Act 2016) and only for deeming and administrative purposes","No nested exceptions or complex provisos; operative provisions are direct commands ('are revoked', 'are reserved')"],"plain_english_summary":"**What this law does:**\n\nThis Act transfers large areas of land from commercial forestry management to conservation by converting them into national parks. Specifically, it:\n\n* **Revokes** (cancels) the status of several State forests and flora reserves in northern New South Wales — meaning they are no longer designated for logging or commercial timber production\n* **Reserves** those same lands as national parks, including:\n  * Creating the new **Nightcap National Park** (near Lismore and Byron Bay)\n  * Creating the new **Washpool National Park** (near Grafton)\n  * Expanding the existing **Border Ranges National Park** and **New England National Park**\n\n**Who it affects:**\n\n* **The environment and public**: These lands become protected national parks, preserving rainforest and wilderness areas for conservation and public recreation\n* **Existing leaseholders**: Anyone with a current lease, licence or permit to use the land (for grazing, logging, etc.) keeps their rights temporarily, but administration of those agreements shifts from the Forestry Minister to the National Parks Minister\n* **State government agencies**: Responsibility for managing the land moves from the Forestry Commission to the National Parks and Wildlife Service\n\n**Why it matters:**\n\nThis was a significant environmental protection measure. It removed approximately 68,000 hectares of ecologically valuable forest — including parts of the Nightcap Range, which contains World Heritage-listed rainforest — from timber harvesting and placed it under permanent conservation protection. The Act ensures existing commercial interests are phased out respectfully while immediately securing the land's ecological future."},"summary":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"Based on the available information, the Act appears to have maintained its original narrow scope — converting specific forestry land to national park. The 2018 update appears administrative rather than a substantive expansion or contraction of the Act's purpose. Insufficient substantive text is available to identify any drift from original intent."},"complexity_factors":["The Act appears to be narrow and specific in purpose — revoking forestry status and reserving land as national park — which limits complexity","Minimal substantive text is available for analysis; the provided content is largely metadata and navigation elements from the NSW legislation website","The dual-action mechanism (revocation plus reservation) requires understanding of two separate legal frameworks — the Forestry Act and the National Parks and Wildlife Act — and how they interact","Land tenure and reservation law in NSW can involve technical property law concepts","The 2018 amendment introduces a minor layer of change to track, though its substance is unknown from the provided text"],"plain_english_summary":"This NSW Act cancels specific forestry designations and reclassifies those lands as national parks, removing timber‑harvesting rights and placing the areas under permanent conservation protection. \n\nIt affects forestry operators (who lose access), benefits conservation and the public (new protected areas for nature and recreation), and may intersect with traditional owners’ interests. The change is intended as a lasting legal protection and remains in force."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/forestry-revocation-and-national-parks-reservation-act-1983","history":"/api/acts/forestry-revocation-and-national-parks-reservation-act-1983/history","analysis":"/api/acts/forestry-revocation-and-national-parks-reservation-act-1983/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/forestry-revocation-and-national-parks-reservation-act-1983/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/forestry-revocation-and-national-parks-reservation-act-1983/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/forestry-revocation-and-national-parks-reservation-act-1983/documents"}}