Draft:Nature Conservation Council of NSW

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The Nature Conservation Council of NSW
AbbreviationNatureNSW or NCC
Formation2 July 1955
TypeNon-governmental organisation
PurposeEnvironmental activism
HeadquartersSydney, Australia
Key people
Carolyn Loton (Chairperson) Jacqui Mumford (Chief Executive Officer)
Websitehttps://www.nature.org.au/

The Nature Conservation Council of NSW (NCC) is an Australian environmental advocacy organisation based in New South Wales. It was founded in 1955 in Sydney as a response to excessive land clearing, mining, and wildlife devastation in NSW.[1] Some of its key advocacy efforts in NSW revolve around preserving forests & koala habitats, combating climate change, transitioning to renewable energy, restoring rivers & wetlands, educating about effective bushfire management, and protecting large forest owls. NCC is a not-for-profit, non-governmental and non-partisan organisation.

History

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NCC was formed on 2 July 1955 in a meeting consisting of 45 people from 27 organisations at Phillip Street, Sydney. In 1957, NCC drafted the National Parks Act, eventually becoming the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Act, which led to the creation of the National Parks and Wildlife Service.[1] NCC’s first director, Haydn Washington, was appointed in 1989. This role later transitioned into Chief Executive Officer, which is currently held by Jacqui Mumford.[2] NCC's first Bushfire Conference was held in 1991 after bushfires destroyed 800,000 hectares of land in NSW.[1] NCC joined the Inland Rivers Network (IRN), an environmental coalition established in 1991 that advocates for “healthy rivers, wetlands and groundwater in the Murray-Darling Basin."[3] In the late 1990’s, NCC was part of the Comprehensive Regional Assessment negotiations with the Carr Government that resulted in over one million hectares of state forests being protected from logging. In 2007, NCC filed a court case advocating for “18 strict no-fishing zones” in NSW to protect grey nurse sharks in the state.[4] In 2015, NCC helped launch the campaign for The Great Koala National Park in the fight to save koalas in NSW from extinction. During the 2023/2024 financial year, NCC helped create the Forest Alliance NSW, a coalition formed under the shared goal of protecting forests throughout NSW.[5] During the same financial year, NCC’s climate campaigns were focused on educating the public on the “risk and impacts” of coal power and fought to keep coal fired power stations closed.[5] In 2025, NCC celebrated its 70th anniversary, which coincided with the Minns Government announcing the creation of Great Koala National Park.[6]

Activities and Campaigns

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Some of the key campaigns NCC has acted upon throughout its history are ending tax breaks for native vegetation clearing, ceasing the practice of burning native forests for electricity, helping save the grey nurse shark population in Australia with marine zones, campaigning to end native forest logging, and establishing the Great Koala National Park.[1]

Healthy Ecosystems Program

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NCC’s Healthy Ecosystems programs were established to “maintain and enhance biodiversity, cultural values and resilience."[7] To succeed in this mission, NCC works with “rural property owners, public land managers, and Indigenous landholders” to develop sustainable land practices.[7] NCC currently has three Healthy Ecosystems programs: the Hotspots Fire Project, the Bushfire Program, and the Large Forest Owls Project.

The Hotspots Fire Project first started in 2003. It is “an education and training program” that works in collaboration with the NSW Rural Fire Service to provide education on "the role of fire in the bush” and on the most beneficial fire management practices in protecting landowner’s properties and wildlife habitats.[8]

The Bushfire program began in 1977 and is NCC’s oldest Healthy Ecosystems program. Its purpose is to “ensure that all bushfire management activity is ecologically sustainable while protecting life and property.”[9] The program holds various workshops and conferences revolving around bushfire and conservation and it also “reviews policy and provides advice on ecologically sustainable fire management."[9]

The Large Forest Owls Project has been in place since 2019. Its primarily focused on habitats in Bundjalung, Yaegl and Gumbaynggirr country (Richmond-Clarence lowlands) and works to enhance conservation efforts for large forest owls: Barking, Powerful and Masked Owls. Some of the actions taken throughout the project include “long-term acoustic monitoring” to identify owl habitats, “surveys of habitats to identify owl roost and nest trees,” and a focus on “post-fire recovery” following the 2019-2020 bushfires by installing nest boxes.[10]

Governance

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NCC’s member group network consists of over 200 community environmental organisations throughout NSW.[11] NCC has around 40 paid staff members and 12 volunteer board members that are appointed at NCC’s Annual Conferences.[12] In 2001, NCC hosted its first Regional Conference in Newcastle and has continued to host them annually with member organisations in a different regional location in NSW, including Batemans Bay, Lismore, Armidale, Albury and Lithgow.[13]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Our History". Nature Conservation Council of NSW. Retrieved 2025-10-09.
  2. ^ "Our Staff". Nature Conservation Council of NSW. Retrieved 2025-10-09.
  3. ^ "Rivers & Wetlands". Nature Conservation Council of NSW. Retrieved 2025-10-09.
  4. ^ "Conservationists in court to save shark". The Sydney Morning Herald. 2007-06-04. Retrieved 2025-10-09.
  5. ^ a b "Impact Report 2024.pdf". Google Docs. Retrieved 2025-10-09.
  6. ^ "The Great Koala National Park". NSW Government. 7 September 2025. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
  7. ^ a b "Healthy Ecosystems". Nature Conservation Council of NSW. Retrieved 2025-10-09.
  8. ^ "Hotspots Fire Project". Nature Conservation Council of NSW. Retrieved 2025-10-09.
  9. ^ a b "Bushfire Program". Nature Conservation Council of NSW. Retrieved 2025-10-09.
  10. ^ "Large Forest Owls Project". Nature Conservation Council of NSW. Retrieved 2025-10-09.
  11. ^ "Member Groups". Nature Conservation Council of NSW. Retrieved 2025-10-09.
  12. ^ "Governance". Nature Conservation Council of NSW. Retrieved 2025-10-09.
  13. ^ "Regional Conferences at a glance". Nature Conservation Council of NSW. Retrieved 2025-10-09.
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