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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2025-06-05 Daily Xml
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National Parks

Mr DIGHTON (Black) (15:49): I rise to continue my series of grievance speeches on the national parks in my electorate and, in particular, the work of the Friends Group, but before I do I just want to commend the work of our Treasurer in delivering the budget today. I particularly want to highlight the vision of the Treasurer and the vision of the government, particularly around law and order and the work that he has done in the announcements around the police and the $172 million for additional sworn police officers, $31 million for infrastructure, and $29 million for police security officers. The fact that we are going to have an extra 326 sworn officers over the next five years, I think, is something that our community will absolutely benefit from and they will appreciate the vision the government has in that regard.

I do want to just quickly talk about O'Halloran Hill Recreation Park. It is 250 hectares that offers scenic beauty as well as ecological refuge and a variety of recreational uses. In fact, many mountain bikers enjoy this particular space. There are over 20 different mountain bike trails ranging from easy to advanced.

European settlement significantly altered the landscape of O'Halloran Hill Recreation Park. There were a number of farms, grazing and there is even a bluestone quarry that is located and still visible in the park today. The park was proclaimed a recreation park in 1989 and the aim was to preserve that remnant vegetation and open space whilst allowing for low-impact recreation close to the city.

O'Halloran Hill Recreation Park has now become part of the broader Glenthorne National Park and this initiative connects multiple green spaces to create a wildlife corridor and a community resource that will benefit many generations. The park's beauty and biodiversity are not maintained by chance. They are supported by the tireless efforts of volunteers, particularly Friends of O'Halloran Hill Recreation Park, which was formed in 1992. This dedicated group has been working for over 30 years to restore and protect the area's native ecosystems.

I recently had the opportunity to meet with Wayne Turner, the President of Friends of O'Halloran Hill Recreation Park. Wayne took me on a tour of the park and showed me the work that the Friends Group has been and is currently doing to preserve the park. In particular, it was interesting to gain a better appreciation of the systematic process needed to remove olive trees from the park. It is a significant exercise that involves a disciplined and organised approach.

It was also special to see a mob of around 15 kangaroos bounding through the park on the morning I visited with Wayne; a demonstration of the work that the Friends Group has done to return this environment park to the natural habitat, especially considering how close it is to the city. I want to give thanks to the work of Friends of O'Halloran Hill Conservation Recreation Park. Through their dedication they are protecting the biodiversity of our environment, ensuring that these spaces are protected for current and future generations.

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