State Government announces new Eusdale nature reserve near Tarana

One of the last remaining areas of uncleared native forest in the Upper Macquarie catchment areas will be declared a nature reserve, the State Government announced today.

Two-thirds of the Frapples Block area in Sunny Corner State Forest, near the village of Tarana, will be dedicated as the Eusdale Reserve conservation area.

The land, which is currently managed by Forestry Corporation, will be transferred to the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) as a reserve for future generations to enjoy.

The remaining one-third of the 1800 hectare block will continue to be subject to the exploration licence granted to Hibernia Gold, and managed as Crown Reserve land by the National Parks and Wildlife Service.

If at the end of that period exploration has failed to yield any significant deposits, the option will exist to transfer the remaining parcel of land to DEC to expand the reserve.

Frapples Block may contain some deposits of the metallic minerals Molybdenum and Rhenium.

However, the block is also home to a number of significant native animal populations, and represents one of the last uncleared areas along the Fish River.

Frapples Block is greatly loved by the local community because of its unspoilt environment and native wildlife, including the endangered purple copper butterfly.

The Tarana and Fish River Development Group successfully lobbied against a nearby quarry more than two years ago, and group members and other residents have since been active in promoting the idea of a nature reserve.