Australian government buys bushland in Blue Mountains to protect environment

Sydney: The New South Wales government purchased a large swathe of bushland in Australia's iconic Blue Mountains in an effort to preserve the unique environment for future generations, officials said on Tuesday.

The 300-hectare patch known as the Radiata Plateau, west of Sydney, will be incorporated into the State's national park system, protecting not just the physical landscape but a number of endangered animals as well.

Environment Minister Matt Kean said that the Radiata Plateau represents the last remaining undeveloped peninsula-plateau on the upper Blue Mountains western escarpment.

"This site supports important wildlife corridors and nationally listed endangered ecological communities, including Blue Mountains swamps, and endangered species such as the Spotted-tailed Quoll, the Dwarf Mountain Pine and Greater Glider," Kean said.

The Radiata Plateau is a short trip west of Sydney and not far from the Blue Mountains' most famous attraction -- the Three Sisters rock formation, which draws roughly 2 million visitors every year.

Kean added that for thousands of years the Blue Mountains were inhabited by Australian Aboriginals for whom the Radiata Plateau continues to hold special significance.

"The property holds significance to the Gundungurra and Dharug people and includes the state significant heritage site 'Blacks Ladder', which marks a traditional Aboriginal pathway into the Megalong Valley," Kean said.