Carolyn Male MP, State Member for Pine Rivers, would like to make people aware that a total 74,400 additional hectares of south-east Queensland forest has been converted to national park or conservation park.

“D’Aguilar National Park has been one of Brisbane’s most popular national parks - now its Australia’s largest within 20 kilometres of a capital CBD,” Carolyn Male said.

“It’s expanded from 2,400 to a massive 38,000 hectares - growing more than 15 times its size.”

“The State Government has added areas in Enoggera, Mt Glorious, D’Aguilar and Mt Mee Forest Reserves to D’Aguilar National Park, providing permanent protection for biodiversity and green space.”

“The national park covers the D’Aguilar Range from Brisbane city to Mount Mee, encompassing large parts of the area known as Brisbane Forest Park.”

Carolyn Male MP said the new national park formed a significant wildlife corridor for a diverse range of fauna and flora, including the giant barred frog, koala and over 800 species of plants.

“Vegetation includes lush rainforest, tall wet eucalypt forest and open woodlands,” Carolyn Male said.

“Visitors can enjoy the new areas of D’Aguilar National Park by walking and cycling along a wide network of tracks, and by visiting the many lookouts, picnic and day-use areas.”

Carolyn Male said the expansion and other national park declarations brought the Bligh Government closer to its goal of converting 425,000 hectares of state forests in south east Queensland to protected areas.

“We’re now 80 per cent of the way there - in other words, more than 345,000 hectares of forest reserves now has national park tenure,” Carolyn Male said.

“It also helps achieve the Government’s Toward Q2 target of expanding Queensland’s national parks by 50 per cent by 2020.”