- The Palaszczuk Government has started the process to dedicate more than 2,500 hectares of timber reserve and state forest as national park and conservation park.
- The dedication is part of the government's commitment to transfer 20,000 hectares of state forest to the protected areas estate under the Native Timber Action Plan.
- Queensland's marine parks and terrestrial protected area estate encompasses more than 21.5 million hectares.
The Palaszczuk Government has taken the first step to rededicate more than 2,500 hectares of land currently declared as timber reserve and state forest as national park and conservation park.
State Parliament has approved the revocation of the current land tenure classification of various parcels of land, allowing for their rededication as national park and conservation park in the coming months. This includes:
- revoking the current land tenure of around 17 hectares of Mount Mee State Forest to enable future classification as national park, boosting the protection of threatened species including the Bahrs scrub croton, central greater glider, koala and rib-fruited malletwood.
- revoking the current land tenure of the entirety of the 1150-hectare West Cooroy State Forest to enable its future classification as a conservation park. This will protect habitat for several threatened species, including the spotted-tailed quoll (southern subspecies), koala and scrub turpentine.
- revoking the current land tenure of around 995 hectares of Deer Reserve State Forest to enable its future classification as a conservation park, supporting the protection of threatened species including the koala and rib-fruited malletwood.
- revoking the current land tenure of the entirety of the 198-hectare Wickham Timber Reserve, enabling its future classification as a conservation park, further supporting the protection of threatened or near threatened species including the Bahrs scrub croton, Plunkett mallee, powerful owl and koala.
- revoking the current land tenure of around 129 hectares of Beerwah State Forest, known locally as Ferny Forest, to enable its future classification as a conservation park, supporting the protection of threatened species, including central greater glider, koala, glossy black-cockatoo and the Christmas bells flower.
- revoking the current land tenure of around 62 hectares of Luttons State Forest to enable future classification as a conservation park, supporting the protection of threatened species including the Coochin Hills grevillea, central greater glider and koala.
- revoking the current land tenure of around 8 hectares of Daintree National Park to allow the area to be granted as Aboriginal freehold tenure to the Jabalbina Yalanji Aboriginal Corporation, with a proposed nature refuge to be declared over part of the area.
State Parliament also endorsed a number of other minor revocations which dealt with issues such as land inundated by a river, enabling access to private properties and defining boundaries around public boating infrastructure in Great Sandy Marine Park.
Quotes attributable to the Minister for the Environment and the Great Barrier Reef, Leanne Linard:
"The Palaszczuk Government is strongly committed to protecting areas of high environmental value across the state.
"We committed to transferring 20,000 hectares of state forest to the protected areas estate under the Native Timber Action Plan.
"The motion passed in State Parliament is the first stage of transferring more than 2,500 hectares of land currently declared as timber reserve and state forest into our protected areas estate as either national park or conservation park.
"This will afford stronger protections and enhanced management for crucial habitat for threatened species, including our iconic koala.
"Queensland's marine parks and terrestrial protected area estate encompasses more than 21.5 million hectares.
"The Palaszczuk Government acknowledges the invaluable contribution protected areas and forests provide for Queensland.
"This includes affording protection to our iconic and threatened species, unique cultural heritage, ensuring vital forest resources are managed sustainably, offering unforgettable tourism experiences, and providing Queenslanders with their most treasured recreational opportunities."
"Our protected area estate is also a major contributor to Queensland's economic prosperity.
"They attract over 50 million visits per year, including visitors from around the world. This injects billions of dollars into the Queensland economy and supports thousands of jobs across the State.
"Growing our protected area estate is great for the environment and the economy."
