A major conservation park that is home to extensive wildlife habitat will be expanded by hundreds of hectares after the state government bought an adjacent parcel of land south of Brisbane.
Environment Minister Leanne Linard will announce on Wednesday that a newly purchased 213-hectare site will be added to the Daisy Hill Conservation Park.
The piece of land is situated near the Kimberley Plateau and will link the Daisy Hill park with the nearby Venman Bushland National Park.
The existing Daisy Hill park, which is located about 25 kilometres south-east of Brisbane, features mountain bike tracks, walking paths, picnic areas, and trails for horse riding.
It also includes extensive habitat for wildlife, such as koalas, and is home to the Daisy Hill Koala Centre.
Due to commercial-in-confidence reasons, the government would not say how much it paid to secure the land, which was previously privately owned.
"The [Steven] Miles government is strongly committed to protecting, conserving and expanding areas of high environmental value across the state," Ms Linard said.
"And the purchase of this land to add to the Daisy Hill Conservation Park demonstrates the government's commitment.
"Protected areas are crucial in ensuring the future of Queensland's unique ecosystems and biodiversity."
'Great news for our native wildlife'
Loading...Daisy Hill natural area volunteers group coordinator Jim Napier said he was looking forward to the opening of the new site.
"This land purchase is great news for local residents and visitors to Daisy Hill Conservation Park, the Daisy Hill Koala Centre, and the Venman Bushland National Park," he said.
"It's also great news for our native wildlife and the environment.
"It will provide and protect vital wildlife corridors between the Daisy Hill Conservation Park and the Venman Bushland National Park, as well as offer more nature-based recreational opportunities for all to enjoy."
Since 2015, the government has sought to increase Queensland's protected land to 17 per cent of the state's land mass.
As of August 2023, the total terrestrial protected area amounted to 8.38 per cent of Queensland's land mass, or about 14.5 million hectares — which is twice the size of Tasmania.
Springwood MP Mick de Brenni, who represented the local community near Daisy Hill, said it was rare for protected areas in an urban environment to have such "huge increases" in size.
The government expects the newly acquired land to be formally added to the park later this year.