A further 30 hectares will be added to three prominent South Australian parks to provide more land for recreation, conservation and park infrastructure.

Aldinga Conservation Park, Cape Willoughby Conservation Park and Cleland National Park will all have additional parcels of land added to them.

Aldinga Conservation Park is home to diverse range of rare plants and is recognised as a significant for the conservation and protection of the area’s animals and plants. The addition means all of Aldinga Washpool and the culturally significant Blue Lagoon will be protected under legislation.

The park will be co-named Wangkuntila-Aldinga Conservation Park to reflect its spiritual and cultural significance to the Kaurna people. The new co-name means ‘place of ring-tailed possum’.

Cape Willoughby Conservation Park, on the eastern tip of Kangaroo Island, is a popular tourism attraction and is about to undergo significant works.

Site development, including a new visitor centre/cafe and lookout over Devil’s Kitchen, aims to attract more visitors to the park and protect important coastal clifftop land.

The addition to Cleland National Park, which is home to the internationally renowned Cleland Wildlife Park, includes significant infrastructure for the park’s operations and a portion of the popular Steub Trail.

Environment Minister Susan Close says the state government is delivering on its commitment to enhance biodiversity by strengthening the national parks network.

“We have listened to, and worked together with Traditional Owners to better protect Wangkuntila-Aldinga Conservation Park to ensure this sacred place is safeguarded for future generations.

“Additions to these national and conservation parks will help better manage and protect land that is home to valuable biodiversity, and culturally significant and sensitive sites.

Seven out of 10 South Australians visit our parks each year, saving $140 million in healthcare through improved physical and mental health.”

The additions align with the state and federal governments’ 30 by 30 commitment, which aims to protect 30 per cent of Australia’s landmass and marine areas by 2030 in an effort to halt further biodiversity loss.