Western Australian budget to deliver new investment for conservation estate and national and marine parks

The Western Australian Government's commitment to expanding the state’s conservation estate will receive a significant $73 million boost over the next four years as part of Plan for Our Parks.

The funding, to be delivered as part of the 2024/25 Western Australian budget, will support implementation of Indigenous Land Use Agreements and management plans for soon-to-be-created parks and reserves, such as the proposed South Coast Marine Park and Fortescue Marsh Nature Reserve, and provide additional investment for existing Plan for Our Parks projects.

More than 56 full-time, ongoing jobs will also be created, including trainee and Aboriginal rangers, marine park rangers and coordinators, and joint management coordinators in the Pilbara and South Coast regions.

Included in the overall investment is $22 million to support establishment of start-up infrastructure for new conservation reserves, such as new work centres and remote ranger stations, and other capital investments supporting Plan for Our Parks projects.

The Western Australian Government announced Plan for our Parks in 2019 with a vision of creating five million hectares of new conservation estate and national and marine parks - more than any Government in the state's history.

More than half of that target has since been met, with the Bunuba National Park in the Kimberley region the most recently created park.

The Western Australian Government is in the process of completing several major projects as part of Plan for Our Parks, including South Coast Marine Park, which will be the largest of its kind in the state.

Creating Western Australia's first marine park on the State's South Coast is a once-in-a-generation opportunity that requires significant resources, as well as deep consultation with stakeholders and the broader community.

To ensure the Western AustralianGovernment applies the appropriate level of focus to the project, planning to extend the existing Marmion Marine Park will be paused until the South Coast Marine Park process has concluded.