The Australian state of Victoria has three new national parks. Wombat-Lerderderg, Mount Buangor and Pyrenees national parks were formally established on 5 October 2026, following legislation passed in November 2025.
Key facts
Wombat-Lerderderg National Park, between Daylesford and Bacchus Marsh, covers about 44,000 hectares. Pyrenees National Park, north-west of Avoca, covers about 15,000 hectares, and Mount Buangor National Park, near Beaufort, more than 5,300 hectares.
Together with new regional parks, conservation parks and nearly 30 nature and bushland reserves, more than 78,000 hectares of public land now come under Parks Victoria management.
The forests are home to the powerful owl, the barking owl, the swift parrot and the southern greater glider.
Bushwalking, camping, horse riding, four-wheel driving, dog walking and fishing remain possible in designated areas, according to the state government.
Why it matters
These central-west forests support hundreds of rare and threatened plants and animals, and conservationists campaigned for more than 20 years to protect them. National park status gives this habitat long-term protection while keeping it open to visitors.
Worth noting
The change is gradual. Seasonal deer hunting by stalking continues in designated parts of Wombat-Lerderderg and Pyrenees, the Victorian National Parks Association says some areas are being added in stages, possibly until 2030, as timber harvesting winds down, and Parks Victoria says signs and maps may take time to be updated.