Acquisition of pastoral station for new national park welcomed by peak conservation groups

On Saturday, Meaghan Scanlon, Minister for the Environment & The Great Barrier Reef, announced the acquisition of The Lakes pastoral station, located 460 km west of Townsville as  part of the Government’s Protected Areas Strategy 2020-2030. The property, located on the traditional country of the Gudjala People, consists of plains, woodlands, escarpments, creeks, and unique high-altitude lakes of national ecological significance.

The Queensland Conservation Council (QCC) and the North Queensland Conservation Council (NQCC) welcome the acquisition of The Lakes and look forward to its protection. Its inclusion as part of the Protected Areas Strategy will ensure its biodiversity and ecosystems are protected in perpetuity and managed in line with natural and cultural values. 

“This is the largest acquisition of land since the Protected Areas Strategy was released in October 2020 and will see 35,300 hectares added to Queensland’s protected areas,” said Jon Ferguson, spokesperson for QCC.   

“This is a great start to 2022 and both QCC and NQCC look forward to working with Minister Scanlon to ensure large acquisitions continue. Therefore, we call on the Palaszczuk government to increase the funding for land acquisition in this year’s State Budget.” 

For further information and comment contact: Jon Ferguson, 07 3846 7833