A new $7 million NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service office that will support 40 staff in the Hunter Coast area has opened at Anna Bay.
It is the first time a property has been jointly funded by the NSW Government and a Aboriginal joint management board.
The NSW Government handed back more than 4,200 hectares of land at Stockton Bight to registered Worimi owners 17 years ago to establish the popular Worimi Conservation Lands (WCL) in partnership with NPWS.
The WCL Board of Management, which manages Worimi Conservation Lands in partnership with NPWS, funded half of the construction costs.
"Establishing a purpose-built office and depot on Worimi Conservation Lands has been a dream for the Board since the first board began the journey in 2008," Worimi Conservation Lands board of management chairwoman Jamie Tarrant said.
"The Board have wanted to create a space the Worimi community could be proud where our staff can succeed and grow. In designing this space, we wanted to have the next generation aspire and be proud to work for NPWS."
The NPWS office consolidates operations that were formerly separate, while servicing future park management needs and reducing response time for incidents such as bush fires.
The new facility will enhance team communication, coordination, work efficiency and safety.
The new Hunter Coast Area office and depot will also establish a vital 'home base' for Worimi Conservation Land board meetings, with the building incorporating energy efficiency and other sustainability measures.
"In Port Stephens, we are proud of our national parks, and especially the world renowned Worimi Conservation Lands," Port Stephens MP Kate Washington said.
"This new combined office and depot space means all staff are on the one site to work more effectively to protect and manage our precious environments that are so special to the Hunter Central Coast."
The Worimi Conservation Lands Board manages Aboriginal-owned Worimi Conservation Lands park to protect the natural and cultural values of the Stockton Bight landscape, while providing public access and promoting safe, sustainable recreational and commercial use.
The new office is on the Worimi Conservation Lands at 4154 Nelson Bay Road in Anna Bay.
