New national park to be created around Wellington Dam

4/5/99
A new national park will be created around Wellington Dam west of Collie under the Regional Forest Agreement.
Western Australian Environment Minister Cheryl Edwardes said the State Government had paid $9.5 million to buy 3,000 hectares of jarrah forest owned by Worsley Timber Company to include in the new park.
Additional conservation reserves would be created in parts of the adjoining Davis, Lennard and Gervasse forest blocks.
The park, which will cover 4,300ha, is one of 12 new national parks to be created under the agreement that was signed today by Prime Minister John Howard and Western Australian Premier Richard Court.
"The new park also reflects the fact that the RFA process has taken into account community concerns and the views of a wide range of organisations including local government, tourism and heritage groups, scientists and the local conservation movement," Mrs Edwardes said.
They included the Preston Environment Group and WA Forest Alliance that had identified the areas around Wellington Dam as being important for inclusion in the CAR reserve system.
"The RFA has sought to strike a balance between people whose livelihoods depend on the forests - including timber workers and tourism operators - with the need to conserve our natural environment and its ecosystems for future generations,"
Mrs Edwardes said.
"The creation of the Wellington National Park, along with additions to the Lane Poole Reserve between Collie and Dwellingup, will provide a new resource on which to develop the Collie region's tourism sector.
"As well it will enhance protection of the water catchment and complement other initiatives aimed at increasing the water quality within Wellington Dam.
"At the same time, the $41.5 million timber industry development package announced as part of the RFA will provide an added impetus to the local timber industry to enter a new era in terms of value-adding and downstream processing.
"Local mills will be eligible for loans and grants to upgrade equipment and install kilns.
"It opens the way for timber-based industries to be more closely integrated with other uses of the forest, especially tourism.
"A total $17.5 million has been allocated for tourist access and facilities and the Worsley land purchase. This funding includes $1 million for infrastructure such as camp sites and day use visitor facilities around Wellington Dam, which is in addition to the redevelopment of Potters Gorge."
Mrs Edwardes said other additions to the conservation reserve system in the Collie region included the eastern part of Noggerup forest block around Noggerup townsite which had been nominated by the local Noggerup community and new nature reserves south west of Darkan to protect remnant forest types.
Under the RFA, a total of 150,885ha have been added to the formal conservation reserve system. This brings to 1.047 million hectares the total area of formal conservation reserves in the South-West forest region.
This area includes a total 232,800ha of 67 per cent of the remaining old growth forest in the RFA region.
Media contact: Nicole Trigwell 9421 7777