A Newcastle conservation group is renewing its call for the NSW Government to protect Link Road Forest from future development.
To mark National Tree Day this weekend, the Link Road Forest Campaign is urging the government to create a national park at the site.
The campaign says the proposed Eden Estates development could see tens of thousands of mature trees, along with younger vegetation, cleared.
Campaign spokesperson Charmian Eckersley said National Tree Day highlighted the importance of planting trees, but protecting established forests should remain a priority.
“Planting new trees cannot replace the complex biodiversity of a mature forest that has developed over generations,” she said.
The campaign estimates Link Road Forest stores up to 200,000 tonnes of carbon in its trees, plants and soil, while capturing about 3,000 tonnes more each year.
It also says the forest provides habitat for more than 400 recorded native species and helps improve air quality by filtering pollutants.
Ms Eckersley said established forests delivered environmental benefits that could not be replicated by planting new trees.
“Creating new habitat matters, but the first step must be protecting the mature habitat we already have,” she said.
The campaign is also drawing attention to what it believes could be a significant ecological discovery.
A photograph taken by a visitor is believed to show the critically endangered Wyong Sun Orchid, a species not identified in ecological reports completed for the proposed development.
Ms Eckersley said the finding raised questions about what other threatened plants and animals may still exist within the forest.
“How many other rare, threatened or previously unrecorded species may still be living in this remarkable forest on Newcastle’s doorstep?” she said.
The group hopes National Tree Day will encourage residents to think beyond planting seedlings and recognise the value of preserving existing bushland.
“This National Tree Day, we are asking the NSW Government to protect Link Road Forest as a national park so its trees can continue supporting wildlife, storing carbon and enriching the lives of future generations of Novocastrians,” Ms Eckersley said.
“Plant a tree this National Tree Day, but please also stand up for the forest already growing in our own backyard.”
National Tree Day falls on Sunday, 26 July, with communities across Australia taking part in tree planting and conservation activities.
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