Fighting for nature since 1955
Before the Nature Conservation Council of NSW formed more than 65 years ago, nature in this state was pillaged on an industrial scale.
Land clearing was uncontrolled, rainforests were clear-felled, wildlife was being decimated, and mining companies recklessly destroyed our extraordinary wild places. Before NCC, there was no National Parks and Wildlife Service, no Environment Protection Authority, no Land and Environment Court, and no marine parks.
The achievements of the environment movement in NSW over the past six decades are a tribute to the hard work, vision, and tenacity of the many thousands of people who have had the courage to be a voice for nature.
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Timeline
Here is a summary of some of the milestones achieved by the environment movement in NSW. While we were involved in many of these campaigns and victories, we do not claim credit for them. These are the achievements of the collective action of many individuals and organisations working together for a better world.
|
Year |
Milestone |
|
1955 |
Founded on July 2 at a meeting in Phillip St, Sydney |
|
1957 |
National Parks Act drafted by NCC National Parks Association of NSW founded |
|
1961 |
Katoomba and District Wildlife Conservation Society founded (Blue Mountains Conservation Society) |
|
1963 |
Last Eastern Quoll sighted on mainland Australia |
|
1967 |
NSW National Parks and Wildlife Act passed, National Parks and Wildlife Service founded |
|
1968 |
Colong Foundation for Wilderness founded |
|
1970 |
Campaign to end tax breaks for native vegetation clearing starts |
|
1971 |
Battle for Kelly's Bush in Hunters Hill starts |
|
1972 |
Total Environment Centre founded |
|
1973 |
NSW rainforest wars start (1973-1984) |
|
1974 |
NSW Environment Centre established |
|
1975 |
Colong Caves protected |
|
1976 |
North Coast Environment Council formed |
|
1977 |
Premier Wran bans sand mining |
|
1979 |
NCC Bushfire Program starts Battle for Terania Creek Environment Planning and Assessment Act 1979 Land and Environment Court established |
|
1983 |
Kelly's Bush is saved |
|
1984 |
Premier Wran bans rainforest logging |
|
1985 |
NSW Environment Defender’s Office established |
|
1986 |
Urban bushland protections enacted NSW rainforests inscribed on the World Heritage register |
|
1987 |
NSW Wilderness Act 1987 NCC acquires its first desktop computer (second-hand from TEC) |
|
1989 |
Save Jervis Bay campaign begins Eden woodchip mill blockade begins First director of NCC appointed (Haydn Washington) |
|
1991 |
Environmental Liaison Office formed First marine reserve (Solitary Islands) Chaelundi State Forest Blockade Environment Protection Authority (EPA) established |
|
1994 |
First NCC Bushfire Conference after bushfires burn out 800,000 hectares Jervis Bay naval base proposal dropped |
|
1995 |
Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1995 NCC launches its website |
|
1997 |
NCC representatives appoint to key committees under Rural Fires Act 1997 Marine Parks Act 1997 |
|
1999 |
Regional Forest Agreements 1999-2001 (Eden, north-east, southern) |
|
2000 |
The Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage listing |
|
2001 |
NCC’s first Regional Environment Conference (Newcastle) |
|
2002 |
NCC sustainable living program begins (Cool Communities) Campaign against burning native forests for power starts Grey nurse shark campaign begins |
|
2003 |
Native Vegetation Act 2003 |
|
2005 |
NCC Hotspots program is established Walks Against Warming begin The South East Region Conservation Alliance Inc. (SERCA) is formed |
|
2006 |
Adopt A Shark program launched NSW Environment Awards launched Campaign to stop Tillegra Dam in the Hunter Valley begins |
|
2007 |
Grey nurse shark court case (NCC, EDO) 20% of NSW coastal waters protected in marine parks Walk Against Warming attracts 140,000 participants |
|
2008 |
Musician Jack Johnson promotes Adopt a Shark at Sydney concert |
|
2009 |
1000 households register for NCC Climate Challenges |
|
2010 |
River Red Gum Parks declared Government abandons Tillegra Dam proposal |
|
2011 |
Campaigns for better planning laws begins Climate campaign starts targeting coal and gas projects |
|
2012 |
NCC Firesticks program begins Better Planning Network established Hunting in national parks proposal Koala listed as vulnerable to extinction in NSW |
|
2013 |
NSW Planning Bill defeated Hunting in national parks proposal defeated NCC’s Low Income Energy Efficiency Program (NCC) begins Land Water Future is formed |
|
2014 |
Campaign for Sydney marine park ramps up Campaign to end native forest logging ramps up Government proposes scrapping Native Vegetation Act and Threatened Species Conservation Act |
|
2015 |
1000 households benefit from NCC Low Income Energy Efficiency Program CSG licences scrapped after community campaigns Campaign for Great Koala Park launched |
|
2016 |
Government scraps the Native Vegetation Act and Threatened Species Conservation Act |
|
2017 |
Court victory against NSW Environment Minister, finding the Biodiversity Conservation Act was not legal |
|
2019 |
Halted remapping and logging of 15,000 hectares of old growth forest |
|
2019-20 |
Black Summer bushfires impact 5 million hectares of bush, accelerating decline of many threatened species.
|
|
2020 |
Established the NSW Parliamentary Friends of Nature 2020 NSW Clean Energy Roadmap passes parliament with cross-party support
|
|
2021 |
Stopped the reconfiguration of Menindee Lakes Achieved leading policy to encourage the electrification of transport Stopped the Angus Place coal mine destroying wetlands on Newnes Plateau |