On Friday, 202,669 hectares across five national parks, officially became protected land, making it the largest single day increase of national park estate since 2005.

 

The main increase comes from the official reservation of 153,682 hectares at Narriearra Caryapundy Swamp National Park in the state’s far north-west, which is home to an abundance of threatened species and unique ecosystems, some of which aren’t protected in any other national park.

 

 

The extra hectares were added to already existing national parks across the state, from the Blue Mountains and mid-north coast to the outback, and include;

– Capertee National Park addition – 1057 hectares
– Maria National Park addition – 66 hectares
– Mungo National Park addition – 7074 hectares
– Sturt National Park addition – 17,479 hectares

Last year, the NSW Environment Minister Matt Kean announced the government’s plan to add an additional 200,000 hectares of land to the state’s national parks by 2021.

Since then, 270,000 hectares have been annexed around the state, smashing that goal out of the water! So the minister’s upped the ante, with plans to double the original goal.

‘We are taking it up a notch and doubling our initial target, with a revised goal to have added 400,000 hectares in total to our national park footprint by the end of 2022,’ Mr Kean said.

Many of the recent additions will help protect endangered species, like koalas and the regent honeyeater.

 

Photos by Joshua Smith thanks to NPWS