Australia's largest monolith to be within Western Australian newly created national park

The monolith - Mount Augustus (Burringurrah) – which is one-and-a-half times the size of Uluru, lies within the 816,000 hectares to be made into new national parks under  Western Australia’s Plan for Our Parks.

The new national parks are more than 850 kilometres north of Perth and have important cultural values, incorporating waterways associated with the Aboriginal Dreamtime and being home to several threatened flora and fauna species.

The milestone means the 816,000-hectare parcel of land - about four times the size of the Australian Capital Territory - will be added to the State's conservation estate in WA's north, with joint management to create new opportunities for Mount Augustus (Burringurrah) to support tourism experiences at Australia's largest rock.

Mt Augustus is approximately 480km northeast of Carnarvon and stands 715metres above sea level and is known as Barringurrah to the Wajarri people. The area is dominated by arid shrubland with wattles, cassias and eremophilas that cover the surrounding plain.

Mt Augustus also has impressive rock art, mysterious caves and for thousands of years natural springs. There are multiple walk trails ranging from 200m – 12km return.

3.5 million hectares of Western Australia’s Plan for our Parks' target of five million hectares of new reserves has now been created in WA since 2019.

As part of the newly created reserves, former pastoral-lease land - purchased for conservation in the 1990s and 2000s as part of the Gascoyne Murchison Strategy - is being added to the Wajarri Yamaji conservation estate in the Gascoyne and Murchison regions.

That includes the proposed Burringurrah (Mount Augustus), Muggon and Dalgaranga national parks and Lakeside Conservation Park.

Under the Indigenous Land Use Agreement, the State Government will partner with Burringurrah and Minangu - two Aboriginal land groups within the Wajarri Yamaji native title determination area - to manage the new and existing national parks.

16 Traditional Owners will be employed as rangers, with eight rangers to be based at Burringurrah, six at the other parks, and two joint management support officers.

WA Environment Minister Reece Whitby noted "This is a significant milestone, not only for the Plan for Our Parks initiative, but also for Wajarri Yamaji People.

"It means Wajarri Yamaji Aboriginal Corporation, in partnership with the State Government, will support efforts to manage cultural sites, create job and economic opportunities for Traditional Owners, and improve conservation efforts.

"These efforts will help deliver meaningful outcomes to address Closing the Gap targets and deliver on our commitment to empower Aboriginal Australians in WA."

Wajarri Yamaji Aboriginal Corporation Chief Executive Jamie Strickland added "This ILUA provides Wajarri Yamaji People access to be able to manage Wajarri country.

"While it is a partnership approach with the State Government through the Joint Management Bodies, it is clear Wajarri Yamaji cultural knowledge and authority are critical elements to this.

"The ILUA will also provide much needed resources. This is what our people have wanted for a long time."

Image. Credit: Casey Tours