Select Committee on Access Restrictions to Public Lands and Waterways

Submissions for the NSW Legislative Council Inquiry into Access Restrictions to Public Lands and Waterways close on 1 August 2025.

The Select Committee on Access Restrictions to Public Lands and Waterways was established by a resolution of the NSW Legislative Council on Wednesday 28 May 2025. The select committee will investigate access to publicly owned land and waterways in New South Wales, including national parks, marine reserves, crown land, state forests, water catchments and Aboriginal land.

The Chair of the committee, the Hon Mark Banasiak MLC, said that many activities are banned or restricted on some public lands, including recreational activities such as four-wheel-driving, shooting, horse riding, hiking, rock climbing, camping and fishing.

He said: ‘the committee would like to investigate the extent and rationale to access restrictions across public lands and waterways, including the balance between environmental protection, cultural heritage preservation and public access.’

He noted that restrictions to access can have an impact on local communities, recreational users and industries such as tourism, forestry and agriculture. The inquiry will examine the legislative and regulatory frameworks governing access restrictions and the consultation processes used when access is restricted or reviewed for public lands and waterways.

Mr Banasiak went on to say ‘I am looking forward to hearing from a range of stakeholders who are interesting in using public lands and waterways, whether it be for recreation use such as mountain biking, climbing or four-wheel driving, or to run a business such as outdoor adventure tourism.’

The committee welcomes submissions from interested stakeholders and members of the community. The closing date for submissions is 1 August 2025.

For more information about this inquiry, including the committee membership and terms of reference, see the inquiry webpage:

https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/committees/listofcommittees/Pages/committee-details.aspx?pk=329