A key turtle nesting site off Central Queensland’s coast will be protected as several areas are added to the state’s network of national parks, conservation parks and nature refuges, the Palaszczuk Government has announced.

Environment Minister Meaghan Scanlon today said an additional 2,500 hectares across the state had been formally dedicated to Queensland’s protected areas system, including the new Broad Sound Islands Conservation Park, which was created after the Palaszczuk Government last year purchased the Wild Duck Island tourism lease to conserve Eastern Australia’s largest flatback turtles nesting site.

Also included are parts of Yurol State Forest and Ringtail State Forest which have been converted to be part of Tewantin National Park on the Sunshine Coast to enable protection of the vulnerable wallum rocketfrog, wallum froglet and koala habitat.

About 1356 hectares is being added to the existing Mount Walsh National Park, south-west of Maryborough, while a previously announced 40 hectares has also added to the existing Mon Repos Conservation Park, home to some of Queensland’s iconic loggerhead and flatback turtles.

“It means these critical ecosystems are now protected by legislation,” Minister Scanlon said.

“In total, some 14 million hectares across Queensland are protected under the Nature Conservation Act – an area more than double the size of the state of Tasmania.

“But of course we want to do more, which is why we’ve committed $262.5 million in the latest budget to expand and create new national parks, the largest ever investment in our national park network.

For more information on Queensland’s budget for the environment, including the record national parks investment visit: https://statements.qld.gov.au/statements/95473

ENDS

Media contact: Francis Dela Cruz - 0420 592 078