PIKE RIVER CONSERVATION PARK

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for State/Local Government Relations, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Consumer Affairs, Minister for Government Enterprises, Minister Assisting the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Energy) (15:45): I move:

That this council requests His Excellency the Governor to make a proclamation under section 30(2) of the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972 excluding allotment 10 of Deposited Plan 72034, Hundred of Paringa, County of Alfred, from the Pike River Conservation Park.

This is a simple matter, which requires a resolution of both houses of parliament under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972.

Pike River Conservation Park is 226 hectares in size and is located four kilometres south-east of Renmark adjacent to the township of Paringa. The park was constituted in 1979 to protect flood plain environments. The motion before the council seeks to remove a small allotment of land from the Pike River Conservation Park as it contains a privately tenanted residence, and this is considered inconsistent with the core operations of the park.

Following parliament's consideration of the excision of this small allotment of land the government will add an additional 62.52 hectares of land to the Pike River Conservation Park. The land to be added to the park represents the features of a known significant wetland ecosystem, and including it in the Pike River Conservation Park will enable remnant vegetation to be protected by controlling weed invasion, introduced animals and unrestricted recreational use. The proposed addition contains river red gum forests, blackbox woodland, chenopod shrubland and native grassland.

The land addition is scheduled to occur by the end of 2009 following parliament's consideration of the excision of land from the park. This addition will contribute to the 225,000 hectares of land added to our park system since 2002. This government has also added 24 new parks, reserves and wilderness protection areas to the state's protected areas system, which includes 950,000 hectares of land given a higher level of protection under the Wilderness Protection Act. This is more than 13 times the area covered by wilderness protection areas in 2002 when the Rann Labor government came to office, when only 70,000 hectares were afforded such high protection. These are important additions, and they play an integral role in our parks system, strengthening habitat for our state's flora and fauna. I commend the motion to the council.

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK (15:48): The opposition supports this motion, which is procedural to enable a lot on which a house is situated to be excluded from a new part of the Pike River Conservation Park, which was 228 hectares and which, with the addition of the Mundic Native Forest Reserve of some 68 hectares, is to become part of the park.

The area has important conservation and protection values and will assist with the Nature Links program, which provides important habitat for our native species. I understand that such a procedure has not been necessary since the land swap within the Gammon Ranges, and that native title and all other such approvals have been obtained. I commend the motion to the council.

Motion carried.