PILLIGA Nature Reserve is one of only three locations in western NSW chosen to be repopulated with locally extinct native mammals.
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The list of species to be released into each park has not been finalised, but could include the greater bilby, brush-tailed and burrowing bettong, greater stick-nest rat, bridled nail-tail wallaby, numbat, western barred bandicoot and western quoll.
Pest animals will be removed from fenced areas before the mammals are introduce.
Intensive pest control programs in adjacent park areas will be a key feature.
Member for Barwon Kevin Humphries has welcomed the announcement of the “re-wilding” program.
“These parks have particularly suitable habitat for the largest range of species to be reintroduced,” he said.
“The reintroduction program is an exciting initiative, and I know the communities aro- und the Sturt National Park and Pilliga Nature Reserve are excited about it.
“I’m looking forward to seeing this roll-out in the parks and I think we’ll see a really good outcome which can be enjoyed by generations to come.”
The other two parks are Mallee Cliffs National Park and Sturt National Park.
Environment Minister Mark Speakman said the parks had been chosen for their suitability for a range of species to be reintroduced.
This initiative is part of NSW’s Saving Our Species program, which aims to secure the maximum number of threatened species in the state over the next 100 years.
To undertake it, the NSW government has teamed up with the Australian Wildlife Conservancy and the Wildlife Restoration and Management Partnership led by the University of NSW.
