Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2015L01818:front:0:p10
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2015L01818
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 24883–27921

park protects coastal dune systems and their associated habitats which are otherwise disturbed or potentially threatened in the bioregion. The area is scientifically valuable as it has not undergone the degradation that similar coastal sites (such as those surrounding Sydney) have suffered and Jervis Bay is registered as a type locality for many marine invertebrates and algal habitats.

Jervis Bay supports a resident population of dolphins and the seasonal whale migration is an increasingly common feature as whale numbers recover. The preservation of a southern representative of the sandstone ecosystems of the Sydney Basin Bioregion is highly important as a contribution to the regional conservation of species and landscapes.

The area of the park has long been a popular destination for visitors. Christian's Minde guest house on Sussex Inlet provided the first tourist accommodation in the area in 1896. Since then, the park has become a major tourist destination attracting over 450,000 visitors each year and making a significant contribution to the regional economy. Booderee also makes an important contribution to cooperative efforts to conserve the landscape of the Jervis Bay region. The conservation and enhancement of natural corridors in the wider region is important to the ongoing conservation of the park's fauna and flora.

How Booderee is significant nationally
Jervis Bay is an important biogeographic area in Australia which contains a variety of relatively undisturbed marine and terrestrial habitats within a bioregion which is generally becoming highly urbanised. Booderee National Park protects a significantly large area of species-rich heath, a diversity of wetlands and saltmarshes. The park also protects one of the largest Posidonia seagrass meadows along the New South Wales coast, and unique algal communities of high conservation value. Lying between bioregions, the park's marine diversity is exceptional. Jervis Bay is highly productive, driven by upwelling off the nearby continental shelf. This supports exceptionally large populations of baitfish and associated predators. The large breeding colony of little penguins (Eudyptula minor) on Bowen Island is one of the most significant in Australia, with exceptionally high breeding success and intact breeding habitat. The Jervis Bay area, particularly the area of the park, is an outstanding scenic location.

A number of plant and animal species which occur in Booderee have significant conservation status and warrant special protection because they are at the edge of their range, have limited distribution or are considered rare or threatened. The park is a major stronghold for the nationally endangered eastern bristlebird (Dasyornis brachypterus), and a substantial number of other fauna species are listed on New South Wales and Australian Government threatened species schedules or are subject to international treaties. Syzygium paniculatum and Cryptostylis hunteriana are the only known naturally occurring plant species in the park