Proposed boundaries for Preston National Park released

8/10/01 Community-based advisory groups will be set up to help with management planning and finalising boundaries of the new national parks to be created in the South-West under the State Government's forest conservation policy.

8/10/01
Community-based advisory groups will be set up to help with management planning and finalising boundaries of the new national parks to be created in the South-West under the State Government's forest conservation policy.
Environment and Heritage Minister Dr Judy Edwards said in Bunbury today that a consultative group would soon be formed to advise on the proposed Greater Preston National Park that was planned to extend across more than 12,700ha of forest near Noggerup, east of Donnybrook.
The park is one of 30 new national parks to be created after the State Government delivered on its promise to protect 340,500ha of old growth forests, with the remaining one per cent under moratorium.
Dr Edwards said the proposed areas to be incorporated into the new park comprised:

  • 6,320ha covering the Noggerup and Roseneath Conservation Parks proposed under the 1994-2003 Forest Management Plan and all of the Goonac Conservation Park proposed in the plan and endorsed by the Regional Forest Agreement;
  • 4,480ha of reserves proposed in the Forest Management Plan but traded off for timber harvesting under the RFA (these are parts of the formerly-proposed Goonac Conservation Park and the Preston Conservation Park);
  • 810ha of new reserves proposed in the RFA and around the settlement of Noggerup; and
  • 1,100ha of Hovea forest block in an area nominated for the Register of the National Estate and outlined in the Government's forest policy.
The proposed new park is in two parts of approximately 6,000ha each separated by a 2km stretch of private land that straddles the upper reaches of the Preston River.
It is bordered by private land to the north, north-east, west and south-east.
The forested area has been baited for foxes as part of the Department of Conservation and Land Management's Western Shield program that is bringing many native animal species back from the brink of extinction.
"The proposed park is dominated by jarrah but has a mix of forest types including old growth jarrah, tall open jarrah-marri, and swampy banksia woodlands," Dr Edwards said.
"The eastern part of the proposed park is open jarrah forest and wandoo woodland but there also are dense shrublands in the valley floors which provide suitable habitat for native species such as tammar wallabies and woylies.
"The proposed park is a popular recreation area for locals and tourists alike and will provide new nature-based tourism opportunities for the region."
Dr Edwards said that under the Government's forest conservation policy, a total of 200,000ha of new reserves would be created. This was in addition to the 150,000ha of new reserves proposed under the RFA and the areas set aside following the release of the Ferguson report on karri and tingle forest management.
"The proposed Greater Preston National Park also reflects the Government's commitment to reinstating 17 areas totalling 54,000ha that were proposed to be reserved under the Forest Management Plan but 'traded back' by the previous Government as part of the RFA," she said.
"The Government's forest policy is an integrated approach that takes into account conservation and management, new jobs for timber workers, timber industry assistance, plantations and nature-based tourism."
Media contact: John Carey - 9220 5050
Map available from Minister's Office