Massive national parks expansion delivers SA tourism and biodiversity boost
Nearly 30,000 hectares – the equivalent of 18,000 Adelaide Ovals – have been added to South Australia’s national parks, helping to protect threatened species and attract visitors to the state.
The latest additions cover metropolitan and regional areas, as the state government continues to expand existing parks and proclaim new ones to safeguard and boost biodiversity and provide more ways to connect with nature.
Department for Environment and Water – Park Planning and Visitor Experience Director, Jason Irving welcomed the new additions and expansions:
"Creating new parks and expanding existing ones represents some of the Department for Environment and Water’s finest work," Mr Irving said.
"Every hectare we add to South Australia’s national park network is a step toward further protecting our unique biodiversity and securing our precious natural environments.
"National parks are not just landscapes – they are living spaces that enhance biodiversity, strengthen cultural connections, and improve overall quality of life."
The huge increases since March 2022 cover national parks across the state along with the recent 18-square-kilometre expansion of the Seal Bay Sanctuary Zone, off Kangaroo Island, to help protect endangered Australian sea lions.
Horsnell Gully Conservation Park, in the Adelaide foothills, is home to many vulnerable plants and animals, including the endangered southern brown bandicoot.
The park has increased 93 hectares – up almost 70 per cent – after land formerly part of the adjoining Stonyfell Quarry.
The bigger footprint will support the long-term future of the bandicoot and a diverse range of bird species, pink gum woodland and other native vegetation. In the Mid North, South Australia’s newest national park has been created: Jaki Ina - Worlds End Gorge National Park, co-named with the Ngadjuri people.
The new park, located near Burra, will absorb neighbouring Hopkins Creek Conservation Park, creating a park of about 1,600ha – an increase of 1,000ha. The area is culturally significant to the Ngadjuri people and rich in biodiversity with abundant waterholes, eucalyptus woodland, shrubland and mallee habitats.
Jaki Ina - Worlds End Gorge National Park will support numerous vulnerable species including brushtail possums, diamond firetails and wedge-tailed eagles.
New trails and other infrastructure are also being delivered to improve visitor experiences and protect wildlife across SA.
Further afield and nestled on the western fringes of the Flinders Ranges, an additional 26,000ha of land at Nilpena Ediacara National Park has been formally proclaimed, bringing the total area of the park to about 86,000ha.
Nilpena Ediacara National Park, which is the centrepiece of the bid for World Heritage for the Flinders Ranges, is treasured for its collection of fossils containing Earth’s earliest complex animal life and is important to the Adnyamathanha People. The expansion includes a homestead, dwellings and outbuildings which will be used by National Parks and Wildlife Service staff to help manage the park.
The significant addition to Nilpena Ediacara National Park and the creation of Jaki Ina - Worlds End Gorge National Park reflect the aims of the newly launched Strategy for Protected and Conserved Land Areas in South Australia.
The Department for Environment and Water manages more than 350 national parks and wilderness protection areas, comprising about 22 per cent of the state’s land. The additions to South Australia’s park network align with the state and federal governments’ 30 by 30 commitment, which aims to protect 30 per cent of Australia’s landmass and marine areas by 2030 in an effort to halt further biodiversity loss.
