More than 2,000 hectares added to SA parks

The most significant addition of 1,610 hectares to Telowie Gorge Conservation Park has provided a connecting link to the Napperby Block of Mount Remarkable National Park and Wirrabara Range Conservation Park.

Department for Environment and Water spokesman Grant Pelton said the additional land creates a continuous protected area spanning close to 8,000 hectares in the Southern Flinders Ranges.

“This is a significant addition to our parks system as it will enable protection of an extensive area of woodland, mallee and tall shrublands, providing habitat for rare and vulnerable flora and fauna including the Rough Bush-everlasting, Scarlet Robin and Elegant Parrot.

“The addition of this land in such a strategic location will also provide for more effective conservation outcomes, such as increasing the conservation buffer around a population of Yellow-footed Rock-wallabies.

“It will also enable more effective fire mitigation works to be undertaken in an area which has seen devastating bushfires in recent years.

“The proclamation of this area will provide significant management benefits and opportunities for nature-based tourism.

“The excellent condition of this land is testament to the Prest family who owned and managed the property over many years.”

Other recent park additions include:

• the access road to the Sacred Canyon site has been added to the Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park; a highly important cultural site for the traditional owners, the Adnyamathanha people
• 344 hectares added to the Ngarkat Conservation Park, providing habitat for the Square-fruit Mallee, Malleefowl, and the recently re-introduced Mallee Emuwren
• 140 hectares added to Lawari (low-ree) Conservation Park, on Hindmarsh Island, at the Murray Mouth; a region with a number of threatened fish and water bird species, including the Endangered White-bellied Sea Eagle.