A significant stretch of Country in north-western Queensland - about twice the size of Magandjin / Brisbane - has been granted the highest level of legal protection for private land in Australia.
Under legislation unique to Queensland, Bush Heritage Australia's Pilungah Reserve on Wangkamahdla Country, 470 km south of Mt Isa, has received the same level of statutory protection as a national park. The move means the more than 220,000-hectare Reserve is permanently protected from mining, logging and grazing.
It is only the third time the Queensland government has applied the legislation, and the first time that Special Wildlife Reserve status has been granted with cultural heritage being the leading reason.
Bush Heritage Australia purchased Pilungah Reserve in 2005 to protect its cultural heritage and critical habitat for native species. The Reserve is home to the only known population of Fat-tailed Pseudantechinus in Queensland, the majority of known populations of five other mammals, and one of the most diverse reptile communities on the planet.
Bush Heritage worked closely with the Wangkamahdla Traditional Owners to apply for Special Wildlife Reserve status at Pilungah Reserve, which contains irreplaceable artworks, culturally important sites and ancient trade routes that carry international significance.
Traditional Owner Avelina Tarrago said the Special Wildlife status is the result of years of work advocating for Wangkamahdla Country against the threats posed by activities such as mining.
"There are a number of sites on Wangkamahdla Country, including at Pilungah Reserve, that contain the largest concentration and variety of Aboriginal petroglyphs in Queensland," she said.
The Queensland government's approval of Pilungah's Special Wildlife Reserve application puts Wangkamahdla cultural heritage at the centre of the decision and acknowledges the importance of preserving these irreplaceable sites.
"It's very significant for us that we're able to achieve this Special Wildlife status to protect the integrity of these sites and stories and ensure they are preserved into the future," Ms Tarrago said.
"It shows that these are important issues that require our collective attention, and that it is worth the effort to advocate for these outcomes; because they are possible."
Bush Heritage Australia chief executive Rachel Lowry described Pilungah Reserve as "a vast and remote beauty, whose irreplaceable cultural heritage and extraordinary ecosystems deserve the highest level of protection possible".
"We welcome this decision from the Queensland government at a time when we need to work harder than ever to protect what we have left," she said.
Queensland Minister for the Environment and Tourism, Andrew Powell, said the declaration showed how the state government was "further safeguarding Queensland's protected area estate in a practical and responsible way".
"Queenslanders want to see important landscapes protected, but they also want to know the land is being properly managed," Mr Powell said.
"Special Wildlife Reserves allow us to partner with conservation organisations and landholders to protect significant landscapes while ensuring active land management continues."
Only two other Special Wildlife Reserves exist in Queensland, Bush Heritage's Pullen Pullen Reserve on Maiawali Country and Edgbaston Reserve on Bidjara Country.
Alongside Traditional Custodians, Bush Heritage has submitted Special Wildlife Reserve applications for four other nature reserves: Carnarvon Station Reserve in the Brigalow Belt, Yourka Reserve in the Einsleigh Uplands, Reedy Creek in the Gladstone region, and Ethabuka Reserve, near Pilungah Reserve in western Queensland.
Ms Lowry said Bush Heritage is working towards creating "healthy Country, protected forever".
"That protected forever part is fundamental; Special Wildlife Reserve legislation is a powerful tool enabling us to work hand in hand with Traditional Custodians and the government to achieve this together, on behalf of all Australians," she said.
