The NSW Government acquisitions have expanded national parks in southern NSW. Photo: Michael Pennay/National Parks and Wildlife Service.
An area of more than 2000 hectares in southern NSW will become a safe haven for “species and complex ecosystems found nowhere else on Earth”.
Merriangaah Nature Reserve, near Bombala, will be expanded by more than 1000 hectares, while east of Cooma, the Macanally State Conservation Area will grow by 30 per cent.
The expansions will protect not only native mammals and birds, but endangered eucalyptus as well.
NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) Snowy River area manager Tristan Ricketson said acquiring the land was a years-long process.
“With those expansions, we’re able to expand our pest animal programs, our weed programs, our fire management – all those sorts of things that we do,” he said.
“An obviously important part of all of these things is, as best as possible, bringing our neighbours along for the ride …. so we can hopefully coexist and manage reasonably common things together.”
Some of the acquired land will bring together northern and southern sections of the Merriangaah Nature Reserve, enabling a continuous wildlife area of nearly 6700 hectares.
“There was a big parcel of bush … [and] it made sense to ensure that connectivity between those parcels into the future,” Mr Ricketson said.
This is great news for the reserve’s most iconic residents – spotted-tailed quolls – who spend their lives moving across home ranges that can extend up to 4000 hectares.
“The quoll was something that was extremely common, once upon a time, and now isn’t seen so much in the broader NSW [area] and is quite threatened on the Victorian side of the border,” Mr Ricketson said.
“We do seem to have a pretty good stronghold for them … particularly along that Snowy River area and the surrounds.”
The area also supports threatened woodland birds such as the hooded robin and flame robin, and the critically endangered Monaro Tableland Cool Temperate Grassy Woodland and the vulnerable silver-leafed gum (Eucalyptus pulverulenta).
It’s hoped the expanded Macanally State Conservation Area will help protect regional koala populations. Photo: Libby Lindsay/National Parks and Wildlife Service.
The acquisition will enable more holistic landscape management, improving bushfire resilience and the effectiveness of strategic pest and weed control.
The Macanally State Conservation Area near Cooma will expand by 1031 hectares.
Mr Ricketson described this acquisition as helping to link “little parcels of reserves” throughout the area, offering further protection for koalas and other threatened species.
“That allows us to better manage and better the landscape at scale.”
The property lies within the Southern Tablelands Koala Priority Population Area and is estimated to provide habitat for at least 121 koalas.
The expanded conservation area will also protect two threatened ecological communities – the Monaro Tableland Cool Temperate Grassy Woodland and the Natural Temperate Grassland.
Mr Ricketson told Region NPWS wasn’t planning on developing the sites or opening them up for tourism.
“The intent down the track is that rather than a national park, they’ll be either a state conservation area or a nature reserve.
Long-term protection was echoed by Member for Monaro Steve Whan.
“By expanding these south-east national parks estate, we are strengthening protection for species and complex ecosystems found nowhere else on Earth,” he said.
“Not only do these national parks provide enjoyment for visitors, but they also safeguard endangered eucalyptus, native mammals and woodland birds.”
The NSW national parks system totals almost 7.67 million hectares, or 9.57 per cent of NSW.
