Government meets commitment on new national parks

20/10/04 The State Government has introduced the third and final piece of legislation to create the new national parks and other conservation reserves promised under the Gallop Government's 'Protecting Our Old Growth Forests' policy.

20/10/04
The State Government has introduced the third and final piece of legislation to create the new national parks and other conservation reserves promised under the Gallop Government's 'Protecting Our Old Growth Forests' policy.
Environment Minister Judy Edwards today said the latest legislation would create 10 new national parks, one nature reserve and two conservation parks. It also would significantly increase the size of the existing Mt Frankland National Park in the Walpole Wilderness Area.
The latest Bill follows legislation to create 18 new national parks and significantly expand Wellington National Park, which was introduced in two separate Bills to Parliament in June and September.
Dr Edwards said the Government's 'Protecting Our Old Growth Forests' policy had proposed 30 new national parks. However, following the extensive public consultation process to finalise boundaries of the new parks, it had been decided to amalgamate the proposed Greater Hawke and Hawke national parks and to designate the proposed Tone-Perup National Park as a nature reserve. This was consistent with proposals in previous forest management plans and regional management plans.
An additional park - Dalgarup west of Bridgetown - was proposed through the Government's assessment of other areas of high conservation value forest for inclusion in the reserve system.
"Effectively, when the three Bills are enacted, the Government will have added almost 550,000ha to Western Australia's formal conservation reserve system in the South-West forests," the Minister said.
"This includes more than 180,000ha of old-growth forest that will be in the new national parks promised under the 'Protecting Our Old Growth Forests' policy.
"Independent studies show that national parks and other conservation areas such as marine parks, are major economic drivers in rural and regional WA.
"The Government allocated $25million over four years specifically for the establishment and management of the new national parks in the South-West and has now allocated an additional $35.7million over the next four years to build visitor facilities in parks and reserves throughout the State.
"This funding is an investment in the development of many towns and communities throughout the South-West, as well as in the conservation of our native plants and animals and other natural attractions for future generations."
The new national parks in the latest legislation are:

  • Easter: 2,985ha - south of Nannup;
  • Dalgarup: 2,377ha - west of Bridgetown;
  • Lake Muir: 9,625ha - south-east of Manjimup;
  • Whicher: 6,343ha - south-east of Busselton;
  • Greater Hawke (incorporating the proposed Hawke National Park): 14,004ha - south-west of Pemberton;
  • Bramley: 3,892ha - at Margaret River;
  • Mt Lindesay: 39,541ha - in the Walpole Wilderness Area;
  • Mt Roe: 127,726ha - in the WWA;
  • Mt Frankland North: 22,053ha - in the WWA; and
  • Mt Frankland South: 42,283ha - in the WWA.
The proposed Tone-Perup Nature Reserve east of Manjimup is 55,935ha.
The two proposed conservation parks are Hester (2,302ha), near Bridgetown and Kerr (307ha), south-east of Kirup.
Dr Edwards said Kerr Conservation Park was more than double the size originally proposed. An additional area of State forest had been incorporated into the park as a result of public consultation.
The legislation also proposed to add 6,267ha to the existing Mt Frankland National Park near Walpole, to bring the total size of that park to about 37,000ha.
"This addition and the creation of the new parks and reserves in the forest between Walpole and Denmark mean that the Walpole Wilderness Area will have a total area of around 342,000ha," the Minister said.
"A further 21,000ha of State forest and other Crown reserves in the area will be classified as forest conservation areas to provide local people with access to craftwood, firewood, apiary sites and licensed wildflower picking. Local shires also will have access to basic raw materials such as gravel for roadworks, subject to existing environmental approval processes."
Dr Edwards said the legislation also included a reserve surrounding the inundation area of the proposed Denmark River reservoir, to accommodate possible future water supplies for communities in the Denmark-Albany-Mt Barker triangle. The inundation areas of the proposed Bow and Styx rivers reservoirs would be reserved as forest conservation areas.
Minister's office: 9220 5050