The state government of Queensland in Australia has bought 131,900 hectares of land which they now intend to hand over to the indigenous people. The land will serve as a nature reserve and with other surrounding reservations, it will form almost one million hectares of contiguous nature reserves.
"Protecting this land is necessary to both deal with climate change and support the local tourism industry. Preserving this land and returning it to the traditional owners of it will create new opportunities and jobs in the future", says Annastacia Palaszczuk, Prime Minister of the state government, in a press release.
The land was previously used as cattle ranches, but that business is being discontinued. The reserves allow ecotourism and the idea is that the reserves should protect diversity while certain parts should be open to tourists.
The new reserve contains 25 different biotopes. Here you will find rainforest, heaths, lakes and the coast. There are also a number of endangered animals in the area, which are now receiving increased protection.
Indigenous organizations are also happy with the solution.
"These areas are important in terms of both nature and cultural values, so it's amazing that they will now fall into safe hands when the state government hands them over to the Wuthathi and Atambaya peoples," said Andrew Picone, spokesman for the indigenous organization Our Living Outback.
Linn Winge
