Every year, NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service acquires land for our national parks by purchasing private land, public land transfers, donations and bequests. However, we do not acquire all land offered to us. We assess land offers against conservation criteria and will only progress the properties which represent the highest priority needs of the national parks system.
In addition, the land must be available for acquisition (that is, land offered exclusively to us, land on the open market or Crown land that is not subject to an Aboriginal land claim).
Contact us about the acquisition of land if you want to:
- offer land you own directly to NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service
- tell us about other land you feel has important natural or cultural value. If you nominate land you do not own (except if it is on the open market), we may not be able to act on your suggestion, as we only acquire land from willing landowners. However, we can consider government-owned land.
All offers or proposals are treated with strict confidence.
What we look for
When NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service assesses the suitability of land on offer, we consider:
- international, national or state significance, such as internationally significant wetlands or areas that protect migratory birds listed under bilateral agreements
- the potential to improve the comprehensiveness, adequacy and representativeness of the national parks system
- threatened species, populations or ecological communities
- critical habitat value such as priority koala habitat under the NSW Koala Strategy
- importance for ecosystem function, catchment protection or landscape connectivity
- migratory routes and corridors, refuge, roosting sites, breeding sites and caves
- vegetation communities, their protection status and current representation in the national parks system
- aquatic ecosystems (rivers and wetlands)
- cultural heritage sites and objects of significance
- connection to other areas in a cultural context – stories or tradition
- geological and/or geomorphological importance
- exceptional visual quality or protection of visual amenity
- manageability of the land – whether acquisition improves a reserve boundary, provides better access, reduces threats to conservation assets, or contains assets that assist management
- the extent of pests and weeds
- whether the land is subject to alternative protection mechanisms (land use zoning, conservation covenants)
- capacity to generate biodiversity and carbon credits to supply environmental markets and generate revenue to reinvest in the national park estate
- research and education opportunities
- recreational or visitor experience opportunities
- community support for the protection of the land or values.
How to offer your own land
Land owners may offer their land for addition to the national parks system by sale, donation or bequest.
Sell your land to us
If you want to offer your own land to NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, send us a letter of offer. Please note we do not acquire all land offered, and the assessment process can take some time.
Your letter of offer should include:
- your contact details
- the lot number and deposited plan (DP) details of the land you are offering for sale
- an asking price (preferably)
- the reasons your land may be suitable for addition to the national parks system. Does it have some of those ‘what we look for’ values?
Mark your letter of offer ‘Confidential’ and send it to us by post or email at:
Reserve Establishment Unit
National Parks and Wildlife Service
Locked Bag 5022
Parramatta NSW 2124
Email: [email protected]
Donate or bequeath your land
Suitable land (or money for land purchase) can be donated or bequeathed to NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service. Contact us to investigate this further.
How to recommend other land
Tell us about land you feel has important natural or cultural values that could be suitable for the national parks system. To recommend land you do not own, you need to submit a community acquisition proposal.
You can send your proposal to us via the post or email and we will acknowledge its receipt and provide you with a timeframe for its assessment.
The priority given to your proposal will depend on our available resources, the proposal’s size, complexity and feasibility.