Francois Peron National Park facilities upgraded

• Tourism facilities upgraded at park in World Heritage Area

• Three campsites redeveloped as part of $600,000 capital works program

The State Government has completed major upgrades worth $600,000 at Francois Peron National Park in the renowned Shark Bay World Heritage area.

Visiting the 52,500ha park near Denham today, Environment Minister Bill Marmion said he was impressed with the works which had taken about five years to complete, and included the redevelopment of three campgrounds.

"Since the former pastoral lease was reborn as a national park in 1993, major developments in the park have included roads, new camping facilities and lookouts," Mr Marmion said.

"The Bottle Bay, Gregories and South Gregories campgrounds, which all have stunning coastal views, have been redeveloped to include new toilets; barbeques and tables; shade shelters; vehicle, boat and pedestrian access; rehabilitated dunes; and visitor information signage.

"Future priorities for the park include the redevelopment of Cape Peron day use site; the refurbishment of the boardwalk to Skipjack Point; and the redevelopment of camping and day use areas at Big Lagoon and Herald Bight.

"This world-class national park offers visitors many nature-based recreational activities, and I encourage people to come and experience the new improvements for themselves."

The Minister said visitation to the northern section of Francois Peron National Park, where the refurbished campsites were located, had significantly increased since 2008, with more than 60,000 visits in 2011-12.

Mr Marmion said a sustainable eco-tourism development under the State Government's Naturebank program - a joint initiative between Tourism Western Australia and the Department of Environment and Conservation - was being progressed in the park, to provide quality nature-based tourism accommodation in keeping with the area's World Heritage status.

      Fact File

• Francois Peron National Park is home to Project Eden, reintroducing a suite of locally extinct species to the peninsula by controlling feral predators

• Liberal National Government has allocated more than $24m for capital works such as parking, walking trails and visitor information across more than 25 million hectares of national parks, marine parks, State forests, conservation reserves and regional parks

• More information at http://www.dec.wa.gov.au

Minister's office - 6552 6800