NSW: Royal National Park likely to be completely wiped out

AAP General News (Australia)
12-28-2001
NSW: Royal National Park likely to be completely wiped out

Australia's oldest and the world's second oldest national park is now likely to be
totally burnt out by the New South Wales bushfires.

It was hoped up to 20 per cent of the Royal National Park, south of Sydney, might have
been saved from devastation.

But National Parks and Wildlife Service director-general BRIAN GILLIGAN says the whole
park is likely to be destroyed.

Up to 95 per cent of the park was destroyed in January 1994 and it also suffered damage in 1997.

About 100 species had regenerated strongly after 1994 but others had not and needed
more time. Scores of species disappeared altogether.

Mr GILLIGAN earlier said the park had to remain free from bushfires for a full decade
before the plant species could fully recover.

Backburning operations were carried out in the Royal during the winter but the intensity
of the fires meant the hazard reductions counted for little.

The Royal, established in 1879, is the world's second oldest national park, after Yellowstone
in the United States.

It contains some of the state's most threatened species, including the tiger quoll
and the red-necked pademelon.

AAP RTV rk/arb/dl/jas

KEYWORD: BUSHFIRES NSW PARK (SYDNEY)

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