Chaelundi National Park

Chaelundi National Park has the largest old-growth forest in northern NSW, with fun places to go biking, swimming, picnicking and camping.

Chaelundi National Park, a national park comprising, is located in the Northern Tablelands district of New South Wales, Australia. FeaturesChaelundi National Park is north-west of Dorrigo and Grafton, approximately by road north of Sydney. Comprising of old-growth forest and of declared wilderness, the park creates a habitat for 187 (indigenous and non-indigenous) species according to the Atlas of NSW Wildlife. The park was proclaimed in January 1997, on land formerly designated as a State-owned production forest. LitigationA series of cases were brought in the NSW Land and Environment Court between 1989 and 1991 by members of the North East Forest Alliance in order to protect the forest located near Dorrigo from continued logging. One key case concerned the interpretation of s. 99 of the, which stated that it was an offence to "take or kill any endangered fauna". Such were the habitat values of the forest that in Corkill v Forestry Commission, Justice Paul Stein referred to the old growth forest as a "veritable forest dependent zoo". The ruling was that "take" included indirect taking by means of the habitat modification /destruction associated with logging: Corkill v Forestry Commission of New South Wales (1991) 73 LGRA 126. That decision went on appeal to the Court of Appeal, and the interpretation was upheld: Forestry Commission v Corkill (1991) 73 LGRA 247.