Illegal activities
Illegal activities in NSW national parks are not tolerated. If you see anyone doing anything suspicious when you’re visiting a park or reserve, it's important to let the right people know. Do not confront the offenders or put your safety at risk in any way.
Read more about Illegal activities
Illegal and unauthorised activities include:
- Lighting bushfires
- Hunting and shooting native animals or poaching wildlife
- Vandalising or stealing park infrastructure, cars or other items
- Driving vehicles or riding horses or bikes on unauthorised tracks
- Trapping or collecting birds, birds' eggs, reptiles or other animals
- Removing or destroying plants, including picking flowers or collecting plants
- Removing bushrock
- Dumping rubbish
How to report illegal activities
Dial triple 000
Dial triple 000 to report life-threatening or time-sensitive incidents, including:
- Anyone lighting bushfires
- Smoke or bushfire
Contact the NSW Police Assistance Line
Call the NSW Police Assistance Line on 131 444 or visit them online if you see someone:
- Hunting and shooting native animals or poaching wildlife
- Vandalising or stealing park infrastructure, cars or other items
Get in touch with Police Crimestoppers or NSW National Parks
Get in touch with Police Crimestoppers on 1800 333 000 or online, or contact NSW National Parks on 1300 361 967 if you see anyone:
- Driving vehicles or riding horses or bikes on unauthorised tracks
- Trapping or collecting birds, birds' eggs, reptiles or other animals
- Removing or destroying plants, including picking flowers or collecting plants
Call the NSW Environment Protection Authority or RID (Report Illegal Dumping)
Call the NSW Environment Protection Authority on 131 555 or visit RID Online (Report Illegal Dumping) to report illegal waste dumping.
Illegal dumping items include:
- Household rubbish and garden waste
- Household goods (such as whitegoods, televisions, mattresses and furniture)
- Building waste (construction and demolition materials)
- Tyres, chemical drums and paint tins
- Asbestos
What to include in your report
When you report, give as much information as possible, including:
- What you've seen
- Vehicle registration
- Date
- Time
- Location
- A description of the incident and people involved
What we’re doing
How we're combatting illegal activities
NSW National Parks, and our partner agencies, monitor and respond to illegal or unauthorised activities in NSW national parks in many ways, including:
- through media and education campaigns
- on-ground policing
- surveillance.
We use surveillance cameras in parks to gather information and evidence of alleged offences that breach the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974, the National Parks and Wildlife Regulation 2019 and other environmental legislation.
Our use of surveillance cameras complies with the NSW Surveillance Devices Act 2007. This act states how surveillance cameras can be used to gather information and how images recorded by cameras can be used.