Remarkable Southern Flinders

YEAR: 2020
STATE: South Australia
FOCUS AREAS: Growing Parks/SDG 17: Partnerships for the goals

Developing a Southern Flinders National Park precinct will create a new nature-based tourism destination for South Australia. It will connect the natural landscapes of the region and draw people into local communities. The project offers a rare opportunity to link well established national parks and conservations parks with land recently acquired for conservation and reservoir area opened for public use, to create a vast, connected park of national significance.

FNPW support

This project is a partnership between FNPW, National Parks & Wildlife Service South Australia, the Nukunu Nation, Northern Areas Council, District Council of Mount Remarkable, Port Pirie Regional Council and Regional Development Australia Yorke and Mid-North

Major sponsors: Australian Government’s Building Better Regions Fund and the South Australian Government Parks 2025 Strategy.

Project overview

The “Remarkable Southern Flinders” project, is a concept put forward by community partners including the Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife, Northern Areas Council, District Council of Mount Remarkable, Port Pirie Regional Council and Regional Development Australia Yorke and Mid-North to further advance and promote the Southern Flinders region as a connected national park precinct.

The South Australian Government has committed $5million to establish the Southern Flinders Ranges National Park as part of the Parks 2025 strategy.

Together the community partners were successful in securing an additional $5million from the Australian Government’s Building Better Regions Fund for the project.

The establishment of the park will closely involve the traditional owners of the land, the Nukunu Nation. The Nukunu will also be co-managers of the Telowie Gorge Conservation Park, inside the greater Southern Flinders National park precinct. Local communities will have a key role in helping develop the park precinct.

Key projects within the Southern Flinders National Park Precinct will include:

upgrading visitor facilities
upgrading and expanding campgrounds to provide camping for a wider variety of camping experiences
developing an international mountain biking destination at Mt Remarkable
creating trails for hiking and cycling, including a new iconic trail, featuring multi-day hikes

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY

This project is undertaken on the traditional lands of the Nukunu nation.

FNPW supports projects across Australia. In the spirit of reconciliation the we acknowledge the Traditional Owners of Country and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture.

PROGRESS OF THIS PROJECT

The project was commenced in 2020 and is due for completion in 2023. Please read below for Project News.

Further information about the project can be found on SA Department of Environment and Water Community Engagement Hub.

PROJECT PARTNERS

This project is a collaboration of community, councils, state and federal government.

Latest news on this project.

We are so thrilled to announce that 20 kilometres of new mountain bikes trails have opened up in Mount Remarkable National Park in Willowie. The new trails are family-friendly and cater for beginner through to intermediate riders, and new and improved visitor facilities such as a picnic area, accessible toilets and improvements to the existing carpark have been completed. In Wirrabarra, facilities have also been updated including two new picnic shelters with tables and seating, a new barbecue, accessible toilets and carparks improvements.

Concept design plans for the EPIC mountain biking trail have been unveiled, which has been designed in line with the International Mountain Bike Association criteria for epic trail accreditation and is set to become a world-class tourism drawcard for the region. The proposed route offers 37.5km of non-stop adventure, with riders climbing to the summit of Mount Remarkable at heights 950m above sea level, then returning to Melrose. The exciting new trail showcases the unique ecology of the range, offering up breathtaking views.

Minister for Environmental and Water David Speirs says the Southern Flinders Ranges is a key region for the Marshall Liberal Government’s Parks 2025 strategy to reinvigorate our regional communities and cement South Australia’s reputation as a world-class eco-tourism destination

“With stage one complete at our Remarkable Southern Flinders Ranges project South Australians are now able to have more easily accessible stunning landscapes to walk, run and ride,” Minister Speirs said.

“We know how much South Australians love our national parks which is why we are investing record amounts to improve visitor experiences while conserving our natural environment.

“IMBA epic accredited rides are designed to be an all-day adventure and to show the uniqueness of a region. This trail will complement the 20km of Mountain Bike trails recently built at Willowie Forest and increase the network at Melrose to over 150km of singletrack trail.”

Member for Stuart Dan van Holst Pellekaan said the partnership was an exciting opportunity to bring together a unique group of organisations committed to working with the State Government on projects to further advance and promote the Southern Flinders region as a tourism destination.

“This significant investment into adventure and nature-based tourism will help to stimulate economic growth for the region and create opportunities to further grow private and indigenous investment,” Minister Dan van Holst Pellekaan said.

“It’s an exciting project that will put the Southern Flinders on the map for a new audience of mountain bikers, while also bolstering the region’s profile locally, interstate and internationally.”