As covered by Oli Goeldner on 2NURFM, the Link Road Forest Campaign has asked Newcastle residents to consider candidates’ positions on the forest before the April 18 Lord Mayoral by-election.

The campaign sought comments from all six candidates on the future of Link Road Forest, a site slated for development despite its environmental significance.

In December, Newcastle council backed the campaign’s call to rezone the land as a national park.

Several candidates—Greens’ Charlotte McCabe, Labor’s Declan Clausen, independent Gavin Morris, and Socialist Alliance’s Steve O’Brien—voiced support for protecting the forest. O’Brien emphasised its importance to endangered species, while McCabe noted broad community support for a national park. Morris stated the land “must not be developed,” and Clausen reaffirmed his stance to advocate for high-value environmental land.

While independent Milton Caine supported retention of the forest, he did not answer the campaign’s questions, and Liberal Jenny Barrie provided no response.