The South Australian Government has expanded the Murray River National Park. Photo: National Parks and Wildlife Service South Australia.
Three popular South Australian parks are being expanded by almost 725 hectares, the equivalent of 450 Adelaide Ovals, helping to provide more access and far greater protection for the state’s vulnerable attractions.
The Murray River National Park, Maize Lagoon Conservation Park and Sceale Bay Conservation Park on Eyre Peninsula will be expanded.
These expansions are in addition to 1246 hectares of land added by the government to eight other parks across the state as well as the creation of two new national parks at World’s End and Nilpena.
A further proposal to add 1840 hectares to the Seal Bay Sanctuary Zone in the Southern Kangaroo Island Marine Park has received strong public backing.
The additions to the state’s national parks aid in the government’s management of land and protection of biodiversity and culturally significant sites.
The Murray River National Park is also a popular camping spot, providing recreational activities and a place for South Australians to enjoy bushland.
Some of the state’s first village settlements along the River Murray are within the Maize Island Conservation Park and the ruins of those original dwellings remain historically important to South Australia.
Sceale Bay Conservation Park provides significant support for wading birds, including migratory species such as the Australian pied oystercatcher, Sanderling and fairy tern, subject to multilateral international protection agreements with Japan and China.
In the 2024-2025 State Budget, an additional $30 million was provided to sustain the state’s national parks.
The added contributions align with the State and Federal governments’ 30 by 30 commitment, which aims to protect 30 per cent of the continent’s landmass and marine zones by the end of the decade in an effort to stop further loss of biodiversity.
“This expansion will provide enhanced protection of threatened species and increased opportunities to connect with nature,” South Australia’s Deputy Premier Susan Close said.
“Murray River National Park and Maize Island Conservation Park provide habitat for nationally threatened birds, including the regent parrot, southern bell frog and blue-faced honeyeater.
“South Australia’s national and conservation parks are home to an abundance of native animals and plants that we must protect now to ensure they remain sustainable in the future.”
About 23 million hectares of national parks and wilderness protection areas, roughly 22 per cent of the state, are managed by the Department for Environment and Water.
The government said $70 billion of the state’s economy and more than $10 billion of its exports depended on nature.
