Editing Lesueur National Park

{{about|the protected area in Western Australia|the protected area in South Australia|Lesueur Conservation Park}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2014}}
{{Use Australian English|date=September 2014}}
{{Infobox Australian place
| type                   = protected
| name                   = Lesueur National Park
| state                  = wa
| iucn_category          = II
| image                  = File:Mount Lesueur.JPG
| caption                = Mount Lesueur
| image_alt              = 
| local_map              = yes
| zoom                   = 10
| coordinates            = {{coord|30|08|04|S|115|06|02|E|display=inline,title}}
| relief                 = yes
| map_alt                = 
| nearest_town_or_city   = [[Jurien Bay, Western Australia|Jurien Bay]]
| area                   = 272.35
| area_footnotes         = <ref name="ParkAreas">{{cite journal|year=2010 |title=Department of Environment and Conservation 2009–2010 Annual Report |journal=Annual Report |pages=48 |publisher=Department of Environment and Conservation |issn=1835-114X |url=http://www.dec.wa.gov.au/content/view/6139/2345/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110111124319/http://www.dec.wa.gov.au/content/view/6139/2345/ |archive-date=11 January 2011 }}</ref>
| established            = 1992
| established_footnotes  = 
| visitation_num         = 
| visitation_year        = 
| visitation_footnotes   = 
| managing_authorities   = [[Department of Environment and Conservation (Western Australia)|Department of Environment and Conservation]]
| url                    = https://parks.dpaw.wa.gov.au/park/lesueur
}}
'''Lesueur National Park''' is a national park straddling the boundary between the [[Wheatbelt (Western Australia)|Wheatbelt]] and [[Mid West (Western Australia)|Mid West]] regions of [[Western Australia]], 211&nbsp;km north of [[Perth]].  The park was gazetted in 1992.  It includes two [[mesa]]s known as [[Mount Lesueur]] and Mount Michaud, and supports a highly diverse [[flora]].

==Flora==
[[File:LesueurNationalPark woodland.JPG|thumbnail|left|Open [[Eucalyptus]] woodland with a diverse understorey]]

Lesueur National Park lies in the Geraldton Sandplains [[bioregions|bioregion]], which is characterised by scrubby heath with a high number of plants from the family [[Proteaceae]].

Vegetation in the park is structurally complex, with patches of woodland amongst shrublands.<ref name=CALM>{{cite web|title=Management Plan:Lesueur National Park and Coomallo Nature Reserve1995 - 2005|publisher=Department of Conservation and Land Management|year=1995|url=http://www.naturebase.net/pdf/nature/management/lesueur.pdf|access-date=6 December 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110406141724/http://www.naturebase.net/pdf/nature/management/lesueur.pdf|archive-date=6 April 2011|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

There are over 900 [[indigenous (ecology)|indigenous]] plant species in the park, many of which are [[endemic]].<ref name=CALM/> Rare or [[threatened species]] include the [[Grevillea batrachioides|Mount Lesueur Grevillea]], [[Acacia forrestiana|Forrest's Wattle]], the [[Hakea megalosperma|Lesueur Hakea]] and the [[Eucalyptus lateritica|Laterite Mallee]].

The park is the northern limit for [[Eucalyptus marginata|Jarrah]] and [[Corymbia haematoxylon|Mountain Marri]], both of which grow as [[mallee (habit)|mallees]] instead of the more usual tall tree form.

Lesueur National Park is under threat from the effects of [[Phytophthora cinnamomi|Phytophthora dieback]], a disease which kills plants and is spread through movement of infected soil or water.<ref>{{Cite book  | last = Dunne  | first = Chris  | author2 = Kilgour, Sharon  | title = Managing Phytophthora Dieback in Bushland  | publisher = WWF Australia  | edition = 3  | date = 2005  | location = [[Perth, Western Australia]]  | pages = 48  | url = http://www.dwg.org.au/files/ManagingPhytophthoraDieback.pdf  | access-date = 7 August 2011  | url-status = dead  | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111007204146/http://www.dwg.org.au/files/ManagingPhytophthoraDieback.pdf  | archive-date = 7 October 2011  | df = dmy-all  }}</ref>

== 1980s coal mining and power station proposals ==

In the 1980s, due to appraisals of coal deposits in the area, the Mount Lesueur and Hill River areas were in controversy over proposed [[coal mining]] and power station development,<ref>{{Citation | author1=Western Australia. Environmental Protection Authority | author2=Western Australia. Environmental Protection Authority | title=Coal mining and power generation, near Mt Lesueur : report and recommendations of the Environmental Protection Authority | publication-date=1990 | publisher=The Authority | isbn=978-0-7309-3537-7}}</ref><ref>{{Citation | author1=Canning Resources | author2=Dames & Moore | author3=Canning Resources Pty. Limited | author4=Hill River Power Development Company | title=The Hill River project : environmental review & management programme, coal mine & coal-fired power station : draft environmental impact statement, coal-fired power station | publication-date=1990 | publisher=Canning Resources, Hill River Power Development Company | isbn=978-0-646-01473-9}}</ref><ref>{{Citation | title=National Park and Nature Conservation Authority submission on the Hill River coal mine and power station project | publication-date=1989 | publisher=The Authority | url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/23185285 | access-date=10 October 2023}}</ref> until the creation of the National Park in 1990.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article122354788 |title=IN BRIEF - Mines now in national park in WA |newspaper=[[The Canberra Times]] |volume=65 |issue=20,445 |location=Australian Capital Territory, Australia |date=4 April 1991 |accessdate=10 October 2023 |page=11 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Protected areas of Western Australia]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Cite web|url=http://www.environment.gov.au/heritage/places/national/lesueur-national-park|title=National Heritage Places - Lesueur National Park|date=6 May 2016|website=Department of the Environment and Energy|publisher=[[Australian Government]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171221200527/http://www.environment.gov.au/heritage/places/national/lesueur-national-park|archive-date=21 December 2017|url-status=live|access-date=22 December 2017}}
* {{cite web
 |url         = http://www.dec.wa.gov.au/pdf/science/bio_audit/geraldton_sandplains03_p293-313.pdf
 |title       = A Biodiversity Audit of Western Australia's 53 Biogeographical Subregions in 2002: Geraldton Sandplain 3 (GS3 - Lesueur Sandplain subregion)
 |last1       = Desmond
 |first1      = Anthony
 |last2       = Chant
 |first2      = Alanna
 |publisher   = Department of Environment and Conservation
 |date        = September 2001
 |access-date  = 6 December 2009
 |url-status     = dead
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20110312125945/http://www.dec.wa.gov.au/pdf/science/bio_audit/geraldton_sandplains03_p293-313.pdf
 |archive-date = 12 March 2011
 |df          = dmy-all
}}
 
{{National Parks of Western Australia}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:National parks of Western Australia]]
[[Category:Protected areas established in 1992]]
[[Category:Wheatbelt (Western Australia)]]
[[Category:Australian National Heritage List]]