Western Australian Government reveals plans to create new national and marine parks

The Western Australian Government has unveiled a bold target to create five million hectares of new national and marine parks and reserves over the next five years - increasing Western Australia's conservation estate by 20% by 2023/24.

The Western Australian Government's Plan for Our Parks is part of 'Our Priorities: Sharing Prosperity', a new program of targets to address important issues facing Western Australia.

The Plan for Our Parks initiative will see new and expanded parks from the Kimberley in the north, across WA's Midwest rangelands, through areas from Perth to Bunbury, to the South-West forests and a potential new marine park along the southern coastline.

The expansion plan will create more opportunities for Aboriginal joint management and on-country jobs, and provide conservation and nature-based tourism benefits.

Western Australian Environment Minister Stephen Dawson commented "as Western Australia's Environment Minister, I'm really excited that issues like biodiversity, Aboriginal employment and tourism are being elevated to ensure they receive top priority from the (Western Australian) Government over the next five years.

"Our State is already famous for its iconic national and marine parks, and providing more access to our natural assets while enhancing their protection will further put Western Australia on the eco-tourism map.”

The expansion plan will deliver on a number of existing commitments to expand WA's conservation estate, and create new opportunities for jointly managed parks and reserves.

Advising that the Western Australian Government will work with key stakeholders to achieve these new targets, Premier Mark McGowan added "increasingly tourists from Australia and around the world want to see and experience WA's amazing natural environment. By expanding our conservation estate, in consultation with industry, we can create new jobs and opportunities."

A comprehensive consultation process will now start with traditional owners, the resources sector, pastoralists, commercial and recreational fishers, conservation groups, local government and other key stakeholders and interest holders.

From this, specific park boundaries and management approaches will be refined before the individual parks and reserves are created over the next five years.

To view the plan, visit pws.dbca.wa.gov.au/planforourparks