Cuttaburra is NSW’s Newest National Park

NSW’s newest national park finally has a name – Cuttaburra – named after Cuttaburra Creek that runs 20km through the land and the surrounding Yantabulla Swamp Cuttaburra Basin.

Cuttaburra National Park was created from the former Comeroo, Muttawary, and Maranoa Stations the NSW Government acquired last year in collaboration with The Nature Conservancy. Located 150km north-west of Bourke, it’s known for its unique geographical features, found only in that region.

The Nature Conservancy Australia brokered generous funding contributions by Patagonia’s non-profit shareholders the Wyss Foundation and the Holdfast Collective, to support the Government’s acquisition. It’s an important step toward meeting Australia’s commitment to protect 30% of land and 30% of marine ecosystems by 2030.

‘It’s a fantastic win for people and nature together’, said The Nature Conservancy’s Director of Protected Landscapes, Mike Roache. ‘Cuttaburra is a unique place, and a haven for
biodiversity, with the first fauna survey recently completed by the NSW Government recording an impressive 158 species.’

Cuttaburra National Park, NSW | Photo by Joshua J Smith Photography

What is Cuttaburra National Park like?

The park lies in Paroo and Warrego River Country and covers a diversity of landscapes, including stony mulga hills, open floodplains, woodlands, and swamps, including the Cuttaburra and Burrawantie Creeks and Maraonoa Waterhole.

Surveys of the area identified 158 native animal species, 292 plant species, and 12 threatened animal species including the Stripe-faced dunnart, Yellow-bellied Sheath-tailed bat, Eastern Fat-tailed gecko, and Brolgas.

Minister for Climate Change and the Environment Penny Sharpe said, ‘The Minns Labor Government is committed to turning around biodiversity loss and restoring habitats and ecosystems. Acquiring land to convert into a national park is one of the ways we do this’.

Bynoes gecko at Curraburra National Park, NSW | Photo by Jessica Stokes

The Yantabulla Swamp is classified as an ‘Important Bird Area’ by BirdLife International and is home to thousands of migratory shorebirds and 50,000 waterbirds including the threatened Freckled ducks.

‘This new national park will protect many native plants and animals, including a dozen listed as threatened species, as well as one of Australia’s most important wetlands’, Minister Sharpe says.

The Yantabulla Swamp is considered an ‘Important Bird Area’ by BirdLife International | Photo by Alex Dudley

Cuttaburra National Park is an important biodiversity area and connects more than 100,000 ha, all protected for conservation when combined with Brindingabba National Park and the Yantabulla and Naree properties. These all have permanent conservation agreements with the Biodiversity Conservation Trust.

When can we visit Cuttaburra National Park?

There’s still a lot to do before visitors can explore the area. The next steps for the park are developing facilities and visitor experiences, which may include campgrounds, driving tours, and bird and nature watching opportunities. Currently, the key programs underway are feral animal and weed control, fire management, and conservation cultural projects.

NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service will work with the Aboriginal and local community on the park’s management and how they can reflect the previous pastoral history into the park.

Feature image thanks to Joshua J Smith Photography