Big news for Yellabinna campaign

In late July, the state government announced a proposal to protect 500,000 hectares of Yellabinna as a Wilderness Protection Area. This is a significant step, but more needs to be done and it is not the end of the campaign.

The area that the government has announced it will protect is in the north of the Yellabinna Regional Reserve. (See map below) It includes Mt Finke and Jellabinna Rocks, but does not include some important rock holes and outcrops in the south like Dinah and Ngarla Rocks, or the significant salt lakes, claypans and rock holes in Yumbarra Conservation Park.

Proposed Yellabinna WPA

A half million hectare Wilderness Protection Area (WPA) would be about 7 times the existing WPAs in South Australia, and, if it is proclaimed, it would be the largest strictly protected reserve to be declared in SA since 1970. IN this context, the government's announcement is a major achievement for the campaign to protect Yellabinna, but a continuing campaign is needed to ensure that the proposal becomes a reality, and that the other significant areas in Yellabinna are also protected.

The proposal will now go out for public comment for a period of three months in which we hope that wilderness supporters will tell the government that the proposal is a good start, but that the area needs to be expanded. The Minister will make a final decision after the public comments have been considered by the Wilderness Advisory Committee. (Details on the public consultation process and how you can help will be available shortly).

At the same time as making the Yellabinna wilderness protection announcement, the Premier also signalled that some 14 mining exploration licences will also be granted in the Yellabinna area. We are particularly concerned that some of these licences are in Yumbarra Conservation Park (an area with supposedly more protection than the Yellabinna Regional Reserve). We will be taking this up with the government and will continue to campaign for the restoration of full protection for Yumbarra.