The Queensland Government’s purchase of three new properties in Western Queensland will help to create a ‘corridor’ of connected land critical for conservation and threatened species protection.
In 2024, the Department of Environment, Science and Innovation completed the purchase of Vergemont, Tonkoro and part of Melrose Stations, all private properties located in regions surrounding Longreach and Winton.
Vergemont Station (352,000 ha) adjoins Tonkoro Station (138,000 ha). When these two properties are combined with the surrounding Mount Windsor Nature Refuge, Pullen Pullen Special Wildlife Reserve and Goneaway and Diamantina National Parks, it will create a protected area corridor that conserves almost one and a half million hectares of Channel Country bioregion. Nearby Melrose Station (65,000 ha) joins Bladensburg National Park and will almost double the size of the park to total more than 15,000 hectares.
These properties contain habitat for threatened and endangered species (such as the endangered night parrot and highly restricted Opalton grasswren) as well as regional ecosystems that are poorly represented, or have no representation, in the current protected area estate.
The properties make a major contribution to protecting the headwaters of the Queensland section of the Lake Eyre Basin, one of the last remaining free-flowing arid river systems in the world and one of Australia’s most important inland catchments.
These acquisitions are part of the commitment to grow Queensland’s protected areas under the government’s $262.5 million funding package for expansion in line with Queensland’s Protected Area Strategy 2020–2030. The current Queensland protected area estate now totals more than 14.8 million hectares.
The Queensland Government’s purchase of The Lakes National Park near Hughenden in north-west Queensland protects four hypersaline watercourses, classified as Wetlands of High Ecological Significance.
These watercourses provide critical habitat for many species including waterbirds, two newly discovered species of clam-shrimp and the unique giant burrowing cockroach¾all of which can only be found in these lakes.
Conservation of this area also protects the headwaters of the South Gregory River, which feeds into the Great Barrier Reef catchment.
Other conservation values include the land flora and fauna that surround the watercourses, including tall eucalypt forests made up of lemon-scented gums and Northern Cypress Pine woodland–home to the northern great glider and common brushtail possum.
A former cattle property, The Lakes was acquired by the government in 2022 through a partnership with The Nature Conservancy (TNC), which brokered contributions from international philanthropic organisations, the Wyss Foundation and the Art into Acres initiative through Re:wild (private US foundations).
In 2024, The Lakes was formally dedicated as a national park. The park covers a total area of 43,000 hectares, equivalent to double the size of Mulgumpin (Moreton Island). A portion of the property is Gudjala First Nations peoples’ traditional Country, enabling strong protection of the sacred places and preservation of the cultural heritage values within the area.
This acquisition is part of the commitment to grow Queensland’s protected areas under the government’s $262.5 million funding package for expansion in line with Queensland’s Protected Area Strategy 2020–2030.
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Aerial of The Lakes National Park, 100km north of Hughenden near Townsville
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The Lake's property gets its name from the four hyper-saline lakes that are formed on the high platter.
Pelican Lake, Agnes Lake, Louisa Lake and Salt Lake form an extremely rare and unique type of wetland habitat found nowhere else.
Approximately three feet deep, these lakes are 2,800 feet above sea level, perched on a prehistoric sandstone plateau.
After monsoonal rains, they fill and provide rich habitat and abundant food for a wide range of water birds and other wildlife including black swans, little black cormorants and long-necked turtles.
They are fringed by the whitebark river redgums and a variety of grasses, stunted shrubs and sedges.
The lakes and parts of the adjoining pretty plains property are also recognised by the Queensland Government for their high conservation value and are now a part of Queensland's National Park Estate.
