"The new park we’re establishing has a unique koala habitat within it,"she said."Koalas are an iconic species and we are acting to ensure their survival."
The government has purchased a 2200-hectare property from a private owner that joins the southern end of Wollondilly River Nature Reserve and the northern part of Bangadilly National Park,allowing it to establish a vital corridor for koalas.
It's understood the government bought the property Tugalong Station from the Hazlett family in the past week. The family approached the government about a sale after the government acquired another piece of land nearby.
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While conservationists welcomed the news,they said the Berejiklian government had a"terrible record"when it came to creating parks and protecting koalas,which are"vulnerable to extinction".
The Nature Conservation Council of NSW pointed to an analysis by the NSW National Parks Association that found the annual rate of additions to the state’s National Parks Estate had slumped from 132,000 hectares in March 2011,when the Coalition took power,to 10,675 hectares.
"The truth is the Berejiklian government has a terrible record in this area and has actually legalised the destruction of koala habitat on a scale not seen for a generation,"said the council's chief executive Kate Smolski.