One of the biggest urban wildlife restoration projects in Australia’s history is coming to Western Sydney, and visitors will be able to see what the Australian bush was like over 200 years ago. Over 30 locally extinct species will make a historic return to the area, including quolls, bettongs, the brush-tailed phascogale, and the green and golden bell frog.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the 500-hectare site at Shanes Park, between Penrith and Windsor, will be one of the largest new national parks in Western Sydney in over a decade. “The pandemic has shown us how important our open public spaces are, they are critical to our mental and physical wellbeing,” she said. “This project will not only allow the people of Western Sydney a new place to enjoy the outdoors, but they will also get to access a conservation area and one of the nation’s best wildlife experiences.”
Shanes Park will be one of seven feral predator-free areas either established or being established in NSW national parks. It will begin with the construction of specialist perimeter fencing in the next three months. Adios, Rattus and Modigliana (from The Ferals, get it?).
The park will be officially declared open in early 2022 following consultation with First Nations groups on an Aboriginal name. Public access is expected by early 2023, offering a “one of a kind visitor experience” including visitor facilities, interpretive signage and an education centre that will run nocturnal spotlighting tours.
“Visiting Shanes Park will be like stepping back in time to see the Australian bush alive with native animals as it was before foxes, cats and rabbits had such a devastating impact,” environment minister Matt Kean said.
We’re pretty hyped about the idea of cute native critters like bandicoots, koalas and bush-stone curlews roaming free in a protected place. Heck, we’re even happy for the emus, the staunch terror-birds of the Australian animal kingdom, who will also be reintroduced to the area. And the fact we get the chance to visit them and bask in the area’s natural beauty like we’re starring in our own episode of Back to Nature? Even better.
This hopeful news follows NSW’s recent adoption of a new ‘zero extinction’ target for native species, and the lovely news that platypuses will be reintroduced to the Royal National Park just south of Sydney for the first time in 50 years.