Hey Western Sydney! You’re getting a new national park! And it’s gonna be chokers with native animals. 

 

For the first time in a decade, a new 500 hectare national park is going to be established in Western Sydney near Shanes Park in Blacktown.

Announced by NSW’s Environment Minister Matt Kean yesterday, the park is set to be a ‘Noah’s Ark’ of native animals including emus, koalas, and a bunch of those small marsupials you always get mixed up, like bettongs, bandicoots, and quolls. 

The national park is going to be fenced and feral animals removed before the 30 different species are introduced, hopefully by the end of 2022, to their new forever home. 

‘This is wildlife restoration on a grand scale and one of the biggest urban wildlife restoration projects in Australia’s history,’ Mr Kean said. 

‘Visiting Shanes Park will be like stepping back in time to see the Australian bush alive with native animals as it was before foxes, cats and rabbits had such a devastating impact.’

This is one of seven feral-free areas that the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service is establishing as part of its plan to reduce species extinction in NSW to zero. Woo! 

The new national park hasn’t got a name just yet, but there are plans to announce it in early 2022 after consultation with First Nations groups on an appropriate Aboriginal name. We love to see it! 

The park is expected to be ready for public visitors by early 2023. We can’t wait!

 

Feature photo thanks to @alushforest