Arkaroola Protection Area is a
protected area
Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural or cultural values. Protected areas are those areas in which human presence or the exploitation of natural resources (e.g. firewood ...
located about north of the
Adelaide city centre
Adelaide city centre () is the inner city locality of Adelaide, Greater Adelaide, the capital city of South Australia. It is known by locals simply as "the City" or "Town" to distinguish it from Greater Adelaide and from the City of Adelaide l ...
in the
Australian state
The states and territories are the national subdivisions and second level of government of Australia. The states are partially sovereignty, sovereign, administrative divisions that are autonomous administrative division, self-governing polity, ...
of
South Australia
South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, which in ...
. It was established in 2012 by the ''Arkaroola Protection Act 2012'' "to provide for the proper management and care of the area; and to prohibit mining activities in the area". The protection area is reported as satisfying the definition of a
"category II National Park".
[
]
Extent
The protection area which consists of the majority of the Arkaroola Pastoral Lease and the Mawson Plateau part of the Mount Freeling Pastoral Lease covers an area of about . The former of the two leases which has not been stocked for over 30 years is operated for the purpose of conservation and tourism under the name, Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary.[
]
History
Following the public outcry that resulted from Marathon Resources' misconduct in the Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary—including the illegal dumping of many tonnes of exploration waste in shallow pits, the South Australian government promised to introduce legislation to ban all mining activities in the sanctuary, with the Premier
Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier.
A premier will normally be a head of govern ...
stating that "we have decided to give the region unprecedented protection".pastoral lease
A pastoral lease, sometimes called a pastoral run, is an arrangement used in both Australia and New Zealand where government-owned Crown land is leased out to Pastoral farming, graziers for the purpose of livestock grazing on rangelands.
Austral ...
on which the Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary is located. This area includes Mount Gee and the Mount Painter inlier.
See also
* Vulkathunha-Gammon Ranges National Park
References
External links
Arkaroola protection area description and definition from Primary Industries and Resources, Government of South Australia
{{DEFAULTSORT:Arkaroola Protection Area
Protected areas of South Australia
Protected areas established in 2012
2012 establishments in Australia
Far North (South Australia)