Just over 77 hectares of bushland near the Queens Lake Nature Reserve will be added to the state's national parks estate.
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It is the smallest of seven properties from Tenterfield to Cooma secured by the NSW Government to safeguard koalas.
"These seven properties cover more than 3100 hectares and are dotted along the state's eastern 'koala belt'," Minister for Environment James Griffin said in a statement on Sunday, February 26.
"Each one provides the right blend of eucalypts, terrain and climate to support koalas."
The land is in addition to 7608 hectares already secured through the $190 million NSW Koala Strategy, which aims to double the numbers of koalas in the state by 2050.
"As well as koalas, these national park additions will protect an incredible diversity of native wildlife, including more than 30 threatened species such as long-nosed potoroos, glossy-black cockatoos, greater gliders and powerful owls," Mr Griffin said.
The largest of the properties to become national park is north-east of Tenterfield. The full list comprises:
- 1280 hectares next to Captains Creek Nature Reserve, 59 km north-east of Tenterfield
- 388 hectares next to Mount Hyland Nature Reserve, south-west of Dorrigo
- 77.3 hectares of bushland next to Queens Lake Nature Reserve, around 20 km from Port Macquarie
- 380 hectares next to Morton National Park, 38km south-east of Goulburn
- 424 hectares next to Kybeyan Nature Reserve, around 35 km from Cooma
- 525 hectares between Wadbilliga and Kybeyan, 60 km east of Cooma
- 83 hectares connecting two areas of Dangelong Nature Reserve, about 25 km east of Cooma.
The bushland at Queens Lake, which is about 20 kilometres from Port Macquarie, was selected because of evidence of koalas, habitat connectivity, appropriate terrain, tree species and its climate.
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