Australia to honour Steve Irwin with nature park
{{date|July 22, 2007}}
{{Australian news}}
The Australian Environment Minister [[w:Malcolm Turnbull|Malcolm Turnbull]] announced Sunday that 135,000 hectares (1350&nbsp;km², or 333,592 acres) of land near [[w:Weipa|Weipa]] in the far north of [[w:Queensland, Australia|Queensland, Australia]] will be turned in a wildlife reserve in honour of the late naturalist [[w:Steve Irwin|Steve Irwin]]. Prime Minister [[w:John Howard|John Howard]] said the park was an important addition to Australia's national reserve system, and a fitting tribute to a passionate environmentalist and a great Australian.

The Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve will be a memorial managed by the Irwin family trust for environmental purposes to fulfill Irwin's vision to conserve and protect Australia's special environments by acquiring it and preserving it forever.

Steve Irwin died in September 2006 while filming an underwater television documentary series off Australia's north coast. He was stabbed in the chest by a [[w:sting ray|sting ray]] barb while diving.

==Sources==
*{{source|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/07/22/1984870.htm
|title=Govt to buy Cape York land for Irwin memorial reserve
|author=
|pub=Australian Broadcasting Corporation 
|date=July 22, 2007}}
*{{source|url=http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070722/ap_en_tv/australia_irwin_memorial
|title=Australia to name park after Steve Irwin 
|author=
|pub=AP 
|date=July 22, 2007}}

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[[Category:Oceania]]
[[Category:Science and technology]]
[[Category:Australia]]
[[Category:Malcolm Turnbull]]
[[Category:John Howard]]
[[Category:Steve Irwin]]
[[Category:Queensland]]
The Australian Environment Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced Sunday that 135,000 hectares (1350 km², or 333,592 acres) of land near Weipa in the far north of Queensland, Australia will be turned in a wildlife reserve in honour of the late naturalist Steve Irwin. Prime Minister John Howard said the park was an important addition to Australia's national reserve system, and a fitting tribute to a passionate environmentalist and a great Australian.

The Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve will be a memorial managed by the Irwin family trust for environmental purposes to fulfill Irwin's vision to conserve and protect Australia's special environments by acquiring it and preserving it forever.

Steve Irwin died in September 2006 while filming an underwater television documentary series off Australia's north coast. He was stabbed in the chest by a sting ray barb while diving.
Oceania Science and technology Australia Malcolm Turnbull John Howard Steve Irwin Queensland