Premier unveils new 4,300 hectare national park

Saturday, 17 June 2000

The State Government's commitment to create 12 new national parks throughout the South-West forest region was further demonstrated today with the unveiling of the new Wellington National Park. The State Government's commitment to create 12 new national parks throughout the South-West forest region was further demonstrated today with the unveiling of the new Wellington National Park. Premier Richard Court said the 4,300ha park would form the core of a continuous conservation reserve encompassing 10,000ha around Wellington Dam and in the forest between Collie and Dardanup. The State Government has bought 3,000 ha of land formerly owned by the Worsley Timber Company to be incorporated into the National Park. Had the Government not bought the land to create the park, its future could well have been uncertain. Mr Court said the Department of Conservation and Land Management would manage the new land and surrounding forest for nature conservation. The land would be included in CALM's Western Shield program to control introduced predators such as the European fox. Other parts of the 10,000ha conservation reserve network include the Gervasse, Lennard and Davis forest blocks, which adjoin the new park along its western boundary. "The Worsley land contains some magnificent stands of jarrah and blackbutt forest," Mr Court said. "These include the biggest known blackbutt tree in the central forest region. This particular tree measures more than 41m high and has a diameter of more than 2.4m near the base. "The addition of such beautiful forest and landscape to the conservation reserve network is part of a $9.5 million investment for the future in the Wellington district. "The new land adds a further 56km of waterline around the Wellington Dam to the reserve system and brings to more than 100km of dam frontage set aside for conservation." Mr Court said the 12 new forest national parks being created following the Regional Forest Agreement would cover a total of 72,300ha. In total, the Coalition was creating 15 new national parks and three conservation reserves throughout the State. The overall forest conservation reserves had been increased by more than 150,000ha through the RFA and subsequent actions by the State Government. These reserves contained 70 per cent of old growth jarrah and 86 per cent of old growth karri. The State Government had allocated $250,000 in the 2000-01 Budget to begin the planning process for the management of the parks. The RFA also would provide $1 million to develop facilities and services for visitors to the new Wellington National Park. The purchase of private land surrounding the dam had increased the opportunity for recreation and tourist developments including campsites and day visitor facilities. This, combined with the Potters Gorge private hotelchalet project, would be a significant boost for tourism in the Collie region. Mr Court said the preparation of a management plan for the Wellington National Park and surrounding conservation reserves would take into account the tourism and recreation master plans prepared by the Wellington Forest Advisory Committee. Media contact: Casey Cahill 9222 9475

 

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