Excision of parkland in Kalbarri for development

A swap of land is to take place to meet the needs of Kalbarri.

Mid-West Minister Gordon Hill said it had long been recognised that Kalbarri's development was limited by the national park surrounding the town.

About 2,750 hectares would be excised from the Kalbarri National Park, which would gain more than 10 times that (30,000 hectares) in a vesting of vacant Crown land.

Cabinet had approved the swap to enable the town to expand without any detrimental effect on the national park.

Environment Minister Bob Pearce, Lands Minister David Smith and Mr Hill agreed on the move after extensive consultation had been carried out with relevant agencies and interest groups.

"Legislation is to be prepared to allow the excision of land immediately east of the existing townsite," Mr Hill said.

"Cabinet has also approved the vesting of 30,000 hectares for vesting as a nature reserve Class 'C'."

Mr Hill said it had been identified as far back as 1982, in a report by the West Coast Working Group, that the proximity of the national park imposed considerable constraint on Kalbarri's growth.

The Kalbarri Planning Study, released in June 1989, also highlighted the problems.