Published 03:39 IST, June 29th 2020
New South Wales makes historic land purchase to build national park for rare species
The area also includes significant wetlands and is home to at least 27 threatened species, including almost 90% of endangered grey grasswren’s habitat
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New South Wales has announced the creation of a new national park to protect the threatened rare species and their habitats. According to the reports, the Narriearra station covers an area of 1,534 sq km (592 sq miles) in the state’s far north-west and is considered to be the largest purchase of private land for conservation in the Australian state's history. The sum paid to purchase the land has not been disclosed; however, the environmental groups have welcomed the move.
Congratulations to @Matt_KeanMP who has added more to the national parks estate in the past 15 months - >200,000 hectares - than the previous three ministers did in 8 years. https://t.co/EX3dNu9yoc via @smh
— Nature NSW (@naturensw) June 26, 2020
"Ephemeral wetlands and landscapes"
Matt Kean, the environment minister reportedly said that the station stretches across the outback channel country and parts of the floodplain of the Bulloo River, which includes “ephemeral wetlands and landscapes”.
The area also includes wetlands listed as nationally significant and is home to at least 27 threatened species, including almost 90% of the endangered grey grasswren’s habitat and breeding areas.
Bill O'Connor, whose family had held the Narriearra station for over a century, agreed to sell the 153,415-hectare property after years of being approached by National Parks and Wildlife Service staff, international media reported.
The land is said to be rich in Indigenous and European history and includes an ancient trade route that brought stone axes in from Queensland to the north in exchange for a drug extracted from local trees "that gave them a boost", O'Connor told an international news agency.
Representational Image: Unsplash/@jacquesbopp
03:39 IST, June 29th 2020