Victoria Welcomes Three New National Parks Covering More Than 65,000 Hectares

Forests in central-west Victoria, Australia, have been formally added to the state's national park system as three new national parks, reported on October 6, 2026. Together they cover more than 65,000 hectares and are managed by Parks Victoria.

The legislation creating them passed Victoria's Parliament in November 2025. They are described as the state's first substantial new national parks in around 14 years.

The three parks

• Wombat-Lerderderg National Park: about 44,700 hectares between Daylesford and Bacchus Marsh, the largest of the three.
• Pyrenees National Park: about 15,100 hectares west of Avoca, with forested ridgelines and valleys.
• Mount Buangor National Park: about 5,300 hectares near Beaufort, with waterfalls, gullies and dry ridges.

The parks were formed largely by linking existing state forests, parks and reserves, such as Lerderderg State Park and Mount Buangor State Park, into larger protected areas. Around 13,000 hectares of new and expanded regional, conservation and bushland reserves are part of the same package.

Why it matters

Moving land from state forest to national park status generally brings stronger protection for the plants and animals living there. Conservation groups campaigning for the change have pointed to wildlife such as greater gliders, powerful owls, platypuses and brush-tailed phascogales in these forests.

Context

Boundary and area figures vary slightly between government and media sources, so the hectare numbers above are approximate. Conservation groups have also said that the parks' long-term health will depend on funding, stronger nature laws and partnerships with Traditional Owners and local communities. Management arrangements for each park are still to be worked out.