Huge change to multi-million dollar block of land in busy suburb: 'Thrilled'
An Australian forest has been protected from developers and turned into a park. The 30-hectare parcel of land sits between two large sprawling housing estates south of Sydney, and would have been worth millions, but it was also home to at least four species threatened with extinction.
Had the section been developed for housing, wildlife would have struggled to move east and west through the suburb of Woronora Heights in the Sutherland Shire. A map shows the border of the land highlighted in red, and dissected by a road.
It's an important location because it lies between the Royal National Park, the first area of land to be declared a national park in Australia, and the Georges River National Park. Additionally, it's close to two critical water sources, the Woronora River and Forbes Creek.
The decision was announced on Friday, by the NSW Government. It will see land that was previously owned by Sydney Water taken over by National Parks and Wildlife and declared a regional park.
Dog walkers will be able to continue to use the area, but they'll need to be leashed so they don't attack native animals like the powerful owl, red-crowned toadlet, greater broad-nosed bat and the eastern pygmy-possum.
Environment Minister Penny Sharpe said the decision was made following a campaign by the local community. 'There are so many important species that call this bushland home, and I'm thrilled it will now be protected forever in our National Parks system,' she said.
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Local member Maryanne Stuart also thanked her community, saying she was happy to see the land saved as a wildlife corridor. 'During Covid, we know how vital this bushland was for our community, our health and wellbeing,' she said.
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