Huge swathes of FNQ turned into nature refuges and national parks
The state’s newest national park has been gazetted over undisturbed coastal lowlands near Yarrabah, while new areas of Cape York now have the additional protection of official nature refuge status.
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Queensland’s newest national park has been gazetted over undisturbed coastal lowlands near Yarrabah, while new areas of Cape York now have the additional protection of official nature refuge status.
Malbon Thompson Range National Park is located about 35km southeast of Cairns and covers 620ha of undisturbed coastal lowlands, covered by rainforests, kauri pines and eucalypts.
The park, alongside The Lakes National Park near Hughenden, has now been formally dedicated by the state government.
Sitting adjacent to Malbon Thompson Forest Reserve, formation of the new national park now means permanent protection of the major environmental corridor spanning 37kms between Yarrabah and the mouth of the Russell River in the internationally-recognised Wet Tropics World Heritage area.
Environment and the Great Barrier Reef Minister Leanne Linard said since 2015 more than 1.23m hectares of land had been turned into protected areas.
“The Miles Labor Government is doing what matters by protecting areas of high environmental and cultural values in perpetuity for future generations of Queensland,” she said.
The two new national parks complement 18 existing parks that have been expanded, including nine in Cassowary Coast, Atherton Tablelands, Cairns and Douglas areas of the Far North to create an enlarged national park footprint covering more than 59,000ha.
Mulgrave MP Curtis Pitt said the new park on his doorstep was home to the endangered southern cassowary and provided key habitat for other protected wildlife including roosting seabirds.
“(This) is great news for our local community and for Far North Queensland’s unique natural environment,” he said.
“By dedicating this area a national park, we are protecting it in perpetuity for the benefit of our environment and community.”
A 64,000ha expansion of the Crystalvale Nature Refuge near Coen, and establishment of the new 244,000ha Abingdon Downs North Nature Refuge near Georgetown was also made possible last week through a co-funded project and federal grant worth $3m.
“We want to make sure our kids and grandkids can enjoy our beautiful environment – and that means acting now to protect and conserve more of what’s precious and better manage it for the future,” Federal Environment and Water Minister Tanya Plibersek said.
Critical habitat for Far North threatened plants and animals, including the home of Queensland’s floral emblem, the Cooktown orchid is assured through the nature refuge project.
The newly protected land covering 300,000ha will help achieve an Australian Government target to protect 30 per cent of Australia’s landmass by 2030.
“It provides an enormous opportunity to combine the skills and learnings of all the stakeholders to provide positive environmental, ecological, economic, social, and cultural outcomes,” Cunningham Cattle Company general manager and operator of Abingdon Downs Ray Thieme said.
Nature refuges are a class of private protected area under Queensland’s Nature Conservation Act 1992 and are administered by a legally binding conservation agreement between a landholder and the Queensland Government.
Abingdon Downs North and Crystalvale make up the largest dedication of private protected areas in the past six years.
The new and expanded nature refuges allow for sustainable livestock grazing and carbon projects while preserving their conservation values.
Originally published as Huge swathes of FNQ turned into nature refuges and national parks
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