The State Government plans to declare the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve and the Wenlock River on Cape York Peninsula as Queensland’s first ever ‘strategic environmental area'.

Making the announcement today, Premier Campbell Newman said the declaration would protect one of Queensland’s most environmentally significant areas, and demonstrated his government's committment to "preserving this ecologically significant part of Queensland for future generations."

The Reserve and river will be the first of many ecologically-sensitive areas across the state to be declared a strategic environmental area.

“When finalised, this declaration will protect these unique areas from open cut and strip mining, and other activities that risk widespread impacts to their ecological integrity," Mr Newman said.

“Despite all its green grandstanding, Labor’s Wild Rivers legislation would have allowed mining to occur on the majority of the Irwin’s property, but under the draft Cape York Regional Plan the entire reserve will be protected.

“We plan to offer similar protections to environmentally important areas across Queensland under legislation to be introduced into State Parliament today by my colleague the Deputy Premier."

Meanwhile, the Australian Conservation Foundation welcomed protection of the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve, but remains cautious about provisions set out in the Queensland Government’s draft Cape York Regional Plan that leave over 50 per cent of the Cape vulnerable to mining.

“We congratulate the Queensland Government for listening to the advice of Indigenous communities who have long called for a ban on mining on their country but remain deeply concerned that many other areas of the Cape have been afforded no such protection,” said Andrew Picone, Northern Australia Project Officer for the Australian Conservation Foundation.

“While 32 per cent of the Cape would appear to be protected from destructive mining under the Queensland government's plan, if the cost of that protection is environmental degradation to remaining areas then that cost is too high,” said Picone.