State Government releases proposed boundaries for three new national parks

3/7/02
Indicative boundaries for three new national parks in the State's South-West were announced by the State Government today as part of its ambitious Protecting Our Old Growth Forest policy.
The parks are part of 30 new national parks to be created after the Government delivered on its promise to protect all remaining old growth forests.
Environment and Heritage Minister Dr Judy Edwards said the proposed parks were Greater Dordagup, east of Pemberton; Jane, north-east of Northcliffe; and Boorara-Gardner, south-east of Northcliffe.
"The three proposed new parks extend over more than 24,200ha and include extensive areas of old-growth forest in-line with the Government election policy commitments," Dr Edwards said.
"The inclusion of these areas in the conservation reserve network will not only honour the Government's commitment; it will give communities such as Northcliffe an opportunity to develop a range of nature-based tourism and recreation activities, secure in the knowledge that these areas will be reserved for future generations."
Dr Edwards said a community advisory committee would be set up to assist in determining the final boundaries of the proposed parks, as well as laying the foundations for proposed management plans.
"The boundaries are indicative only and have been prepared to take into account conservation values, as well as management issues such as access," she said.
"Where possible, the boundaries have been aligned along existing tracks or natural features."
Details of the proposed three new parks are:
Greater Dordagup - 6,410ha (including approximately 240ha of the existing Sir James Mitchell National Park) comprising:

• 260ha of Curtin block;
• 1,080ha of Dordagup block;
• 40ha of Murtin block;
• 1,200ha of Nairn block;
• 2,230ha of Poole block;
• 1,510ha of Sutton block; and
• 90ha of Westcliffe block.

The proposed park contains more than 4,500ha of old-growth forest and is dominated by jarrah and marri and tall open karri forest, with an understorey of banksia, persoonia, bossia and acacias.
The area is habitat for quokkas, chuditch, brushtail and western ringtail possums, brush wallabies and phascogales.
Jane - 6,860ha (including 4,850ha of old-growth) comprising:

• 6,740ha in Jane block;
• 70ha of State forest in Poole block - that is a patch of old-growth forest next to Jane block; and
• 50ha of State forest in Muirillup block - that is a patch of old-growth forest also next to Jane block.

Dr Edwards said the Government's policy had referred to the proposed Jane National Park extending over 7,420ha. However, this figure had included 850ha of the forest block that already was incorporated into the adjoining Shannon National Park
(53,500ha).
The proposed Jane National Park is dominated by jarrah and marri and tall open karri forest and the understorey of banksia, casuarina, acacia and water-bush provides suitable habitat for a range of native animals including quokkas, possums, wallabies, phascogales and woylies.
Boorara-Gardner - 10,980ha (including 4,320ha of old-growth) comprising:

• 5,000ha of Gardner block (the rest of the block outside Shannon National Park);
• 1,810ha of Boorara block;
• 270ha of Babbington block;
• 2,940ha of Northcliffe block;
• 170ha of Muirillup block; and
• 790ha not in a forest block.

Dr Edwards said the Muirillup Conservation Park, which had been proposed in the 1994 Forest Management Plan, had been incorporated within the boundaries of the proposed new park.
The proposed park encompasses extensive areas of old-growth karri forest, as well as sedgelands and heaths, with islands of jarrah, marri and karri with habitat for native species such as quokkas and brush wallabies.
Maps of the indicative boundaries are available on the Department of Conservation and Land Management's website, NatureBase, http://www.naturebase.net
Minister's office: 9220 5050