BIODIVERSITY

Mr SIBBONS (Mitchell) (15:16): My question is to the Minister for Environment and Conservation. What recent initiatives have been undertaken to strengthen the protection of our state's native biodiversity?

The Hon. P. CAICA (Colton—Minister for Environment and Conservation, Minister for the River Murray, Minister for Water) (15:16): I thank the honourable member for his question. South Australia has more than 340 protected areas, covering over 21 million hectares, and new land is continually being assessed and acquired in an effort to conserve our native biodiversity. The government's highly successful NatureLinks program provides an overarching strategy for the conservation of our state's biodiversity. The strategy focuses on supporting species and ecosystems to survive, to evolve and to adapt to changes in the environment by establishing five biodiversity corridors across South Australia.

Recently, the state government strengthened its commitment to protecting wildlife and conserving biodiversity in South Australia by proclaiming a unique parcel of land on the West Coast as a conservation park. The Chadinga Conservation Reserve, which forms part of the East meets West NatureLinks corridor, has become a conservation park under the National Parks and Wildlife Act, providing even greater protection to wildlife and the natural environment. Land that was previously unproclaimed has also been included as part of this process, increasing the size of the Chadinga Conservation Park from 8,125 hectares to almost 12,000 hectares.

Located approximately 103 kilometres west of Ceduna along the coast of Fowlers Bay, the park also features a large dune system which extends over three kilometres inland and contains a large inland lake and mallee association. Numerous bird species of conservation significance, including the osprey, ruddy turnstone and Pacific golden plover, as well as the restless flycatcher, fairy tern, musk duck, rock parrot and banded stilt, will benefit from this enhanced level of protection.

The Hon. P.F. Conlon interjecting:

The Hon. P. CAICA: Yes, it is excellent. It has enhanced the level of protection for species that need to be protected.

A number of other land additions to our state's protected areas have been made in recent times, including the Newland Head and Dudley conservation parks. The Newland Head Conservation Park is set atop the spectacular cliffs of the Southern Fleurieu Peninsula. I am sure that the member for Finniss is very well aware of this. It has been increased in size—and I know that he would congratulate us for this too—to more than 1,000 hectares, with the addition of 120 hectares of land, which is known as Kings Head. Management of this additional land will provide further protection for threatened plant associations such as the coastal woodland and mallee and shrub land ecosystems.

The Dudley Conservation Park near Penneshaw on Kangaroo Island has been increased in size by approximately 674 hectares to 1,768 hectares, ensuring further protection of eucalyptus mallee vegetation in that area.

Mr Pengilly interjecting:

The Hon. P. CAICA: Are you saying we shouldn't be doing this? Is that what you're saying? Do you want me to tell the people of Kangaroo Island that you don't want us to do this?

Mr Pengilly: No.

The Hon. P. CAICA: The land addition also provides a boost to the protection of habitat for significant wildlife species such as the southern brown bandicoot, the mountain thrush and the southern stone curlew, and it is making an important contribution to the Cape Borda to the Barossa Valley NatureLink corridor. These recent land additions to South Australian protected areas will further increase the protection of habitat and the protection of plant and numerous bird species of conservation significance that are part of the government's ongoing commitment to protecting our state's unique biodiversity.