BLIGH GOVERNMENT EXPANDS NATIONAL PARKS BY 60,000 HECTARES TO PROTECT RARE PLANTS AND ANIMALS

Premier Anna Bligh has announced four new national parks and expanded another six to give more than 60,000 hectares of the state the greatest possible protection.

Ms Bligh and Climate Change and Sustainability Minister Kate Jones, on National Parks Day, said the newly protected area was the equivalent of more than 100,000 football fields and took Queensland’s total national park area well past eight million hectares.

Premier Bligh said the new and expanded parks were located near Townsville, Cairns, Mackay, Mission Beach, Hughenden, Woodford, St George, Kingaroy, Ingham and Proserpine.

“National Parks are an essential part of our strategy to manage growth in Queensland,” said Premier Anna Bligh.

“They ensure that the natural beauty and amazing fauna that Queensland is famous for is preserved to be enjoyed by future generations.

“These new parks will help protect Queensland’s amazing biodiversity and also help insulate our state against the impacts of climate change.

“The new protected areas serve as vital habitat corridors and ecosystems for rare, native species including frogs, rock wallabies, cassowaries and many other types of birds.”

Climate Change and Sustainability Minister Kate Jones said the new parks would contribute towards the Bligh Government’s 2020 target of achieving 12.9 million hectares (7.5 per cent of the state) of national park.

“This is a good win for conservation,” Ms Jones said.

“The new Mount Lewis National Park, about 60 kilometres north-west of Cairns, is the largest addition, covering more than 27,500 hectares,

“The new Bellthorpe National Park near Woodford will be familiar to four-wheel-drivers, and Woodford festival-goers who like to take a dip in Stony Creek.

“The 7,550 ha former state forest and forest reserve is on the flanks of the Conondale range accessible from the D’Aguilar Highway between Woodford and Kilcoy

“There’s a day-use area, beautiful rainforest along the creeks, and wet and dry sclerophyll forests.

“The park has more than 160 bird species and 17 amphibian species. It’s home to the cascade treefrog and eight other threatened species.”

Ms Jones said in the south west, 14,048ha of mulga and brigalow forest was protected in the new Narkoola National Park, 20km west of Bollon, near St George on the Balonne Highway.

“Narkoola is an important area for conservation of 13 regional ecosystems containing several native species including the Major Mitchell Cockatoo,” she said.

“The new Beeron National Park, located about 75 kilometres north-west of Kingaroy has added 7,003 hectares through the cooperation of two mining companies that held exploration permits over the land.

“When representations were made to these companies highlighting the conservation values of the land, they agreed to accelerate their investigations and relinquish any continuing interests to allow the land to be dedicated as a national park.

“Beeron will also improve management of an important catchment area because it adjoins the 70,000 ha Allies Creek State Forest.“

“An additional 6,500 ha at the Paluma Range National Park near Townsville are also of great significance because the recently discovered Pattersons Gorge Gecko is only found here.”

Ms Jones said Queensland had the largest national park area of any Australian state or territory.

“The area covered by national park is now 8.1 million hectares,” she said.

“That’s a bigger area than Tasmania, and more than a third of the size of Victoria.”

Full list of new and expanded national parks attached.

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Full list of new and expanded national parks