- Reserves Bill 2024 introduced to State Parliament will further add to State's conservation areas
- New conservation park in Shire of Wandering to protect jarrah and wandoo forest
- Class A reserve afforded highest level of protection
The Cook Labor Government has introduced the Reserves Bill 2024 to State Parliament to create a new 3,200-hectare Class A reserve in the Shire of Wandering - boosting the Government's conservation efforts.
The Class A reserve in the Shire of Wandering on the western edge of the Wheatbelt region will protect more than 3,200 hectares of jarrah and wandoo forest. Creation of the conservation park in the Shire of Wandering will add to an initial round of amendments passed by Parliament late last year, which saw part of Lane Poole Reserve near Dwellingup elevated to a national park, and 145,000 hectares of land added to the Helena and Aurora Ranges National Park, under our Plan for Our Parks initiative.
Class A reserves are the highest form of protection under the Land Administration Act 1997. The Bill also proposes several amendments to address historical operational inconsistencies in land use and management across the Crown land estate in Western Australia.
As stated by Lands Minister John Carey:
"The introduction of the Reserves Bill 2024 will support the creation of a new 3,200-hectare Class A reserve in the Shire of Wandering and provides a boost to the previous 145,000 hectares of land added under our Plan for Our Parks initiative in 2023.
"The amendments proposed in this Bill will provide certainty for delivery of essential community services in regional areas across the State and proposes a more efficient process for considering a range of land administration matters."
As stated by Environment Minister Reece Whitby:
"While the amendments in this Bill propose some modest excisions from Class A reserves to support the growth of essential community services and protect adjacent conservation land, it is most importantly setting aside an additional 3,200 hectares of land for conservation purposes.
"The new conservation park in the Shire of Wandering will deliver further benefits in protecting jarrah and wandoo forests."
