Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62[ 10 ] 4. Parks for people More parks for people Ranger Parks will create opportunities for all Western Australians to enjoy some of our state’s most remarkable natural places. They will be parks for people – offering new camping and recreational facilities, places of exceptional beauty, dramatic landscapes for exploring, rich bird watching sites, and heritage sites of great cultural interest. In modern society, having the ability to ‘get away from it all’ is becoming increasingly important to our physical and mental wellbeing. Parks provide spaces to relax and rejuvenate, to reconnect with family and have fun with friends. Spending time in nature has been shown to reduce stress, keep our minds healthy and prevent anxiety and depression. Parks also enable and encourage physical activity, helping us to stay healthy, fight obesity and prevent chronic conditions. Creating Ranger Parks will provide visitors with the opportunity to engage in a range of activities, including hiking, camping, horse-riding, fishing, cycling, surfing, four-wheel driving, rock climbing, scuba diving and outdoor education. Preserving our cultural heritage Many Ranger Parks contain important Indigenous cultural and pastoral heritage sites that need restoring and safeguarding for the future. As the traditional lands of Aboriginal Australians for tens of thousands of years, Ranger Parks are rich in cultural heritage. Creating Ranger Parks would protect 190 registered Aboriginal sites and parts of another 276 sites.6 Importantly, they would also offer opportunities for maintaining the practices and connections of the world’s most enduring cultures, and for sharing some aspects of these cultures with visitors. There are also important examples of Western Australia’s pastoral heritage on the Ranger Parks properties. Grand pastoral homesteads, shearing sheds, grave sites, dams, windmills and other historic sites are important reminders of an era that laid the foundations for our modern state. Without care, maintenance and involvement of neighbours and community groups, this heritage value could be lost forever. The world’s largest rock, Burringurrah (Mount Augustus) is twice the size of Uluru and sits on the northern boundary of five Ranger Parks in the Gascoyne region. Australia’s Golden Outback