A further 12,000 hectares are being added to protected area estate by government. This dedicates this land for use as national forest and conservation park, expanding the area of high environmental importance which is under protection across the state.

This action is part of the government’s broader commitment under the Native Timber Action Plan to transfer 20,000 hectares of state forest to the protected areas estate.

Since 2015, Queensland's protected areas estate has expanded by approximately 1.23 million hectares.

This latest tranche will bring the total area of state forest added to the protected areas estate under the plan to just over 13,000ha.

The land being protected across Queensland includes several areas right here in South East Queensland:

• Around 657 hectares of Peachester State Forest for dedication as part of the existing Glass House Mountains Conservation Park. This area is a site for core koala habitat and provides significant ecological and recreational values for the broader community.
• Around 479 hectares Bellthorpe State Forest for dedication as part of the existing Bellthorpe National Park. The area is part of a bioregional corridor with important lowland forest ecosystems and is a habitat for species of conservation significance including the tusked frog, koala and cascade treefrog.
• Two areas totalling 1,119 hectares of Beerburrum West State Forest for dedication as part of the existing Glass House Mountains National Park. This area provides connectivity and management benefits for the protected area estate on the Sunshine Coast. It is also home to species such as the glossy black-cockatoo and tusked frog.
• Around 100 hectares of Deer Reserve State Forest for dedication as part of the existing Deer Reserve Conservation Park, which carries significant conservation values including the presence of koala and rib-fruited malletwood.
• Around 119 hectares of Luttons State Forest for dedication as part of the exiting Glass House Mountains Conservation Park, home to Coochin Hills grevillea and habitat for threatened fauna such as the central greater glider and koala.
• Around 289 hectares Delaneys Creek State Forest for dedication as the new Delaneys Creek Conservation Park, forming part of a bioregional corridor that contains habitat for unique flora and fauna including the hairy hazelwood and Richmond birdwing butterfly.

This announcement comes just months after a poll released by the Protect Beautiful Queensland Alliance which revealed that the majority of Queenslanders are in favour of increasing the number of national parks in the state.

More about the full list in the government’s media release.