Queensland government buys out grazier to secure 'The Lakes' for a massive new national park

The ex-grazing property includes escarpment country, gulf plains, wetlands and endangered species.  (Supplied: Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service)

After two years of negotiations, an area in North Queensland double the size of Mulgumpin (Moreton Island) is set to become a national park.  

Environment Minister Meaghan Scanlon today said the state government had purchased a record 35,300-hectare parcel of land.

'The Lakes' is about 100km north of Hughenden, near Townsville.

The final price paid to the landowner is commercial-in-confidence, Ms Scanlon said, but $1.829 million of the multi-million dollar purchase was footed by US charitable company The Wyss Foundation. 

'A really amazing property'

James Fitzsimons, from The Nature Conservancy, said the acquisition of the property on the Gudjala First Nations peoples' traditional country was "key infrastructure for Australia's biodiversity".

"The Lakes is a really amazing property," Dr Fitzsimmons said.

"It's about three or four large perch wetlands on top of the Great Dividing Range — escarpment country, gulf plains, a range of threatened species and a range of ecosystems that are really under-represented in the reserve system.

"[It is home] to our flora and fauna, which are really critical in the face of climate change." 

The Lakes is on Gudjala First Nations peoples' traditional country. (Supplied: Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Energy)

Ms Scanlon said, after two years of negotiations, the area was identified as an "important ecosystem" that needed protecting.

"There's a whole range of threatened species in that area," she said.

The former grazing property could be open to the public (Supplied: Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service)

'Huge' acquisition not the last

The purchase is part of the Palaszczuk government's $60 million Protected Area Strategy 2020-2030.

Ms Scanlon said the government would consider opening the park to visitors, bird watchers and hikers.

She said more buy-outs of other properties were planned in the region for the year.

The area is home to plains, woodlands, escarpments, creeks, and high-altitude lakes. (Supplied: Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service)

"The department looks at a whole range of properties when we are looking at future acquisitions to make sure we are getting the biggest bang for buck in terms of protection," she said.

"It's a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes to make sure we can get these really pristine parts of Queensland secured under Queensland's ownership.

"This is the first big acquisition for 2022 but there's more to come."