Two hectares of high-priority bushland has been rescued from becoming a dive point for a WestConnex tunnel.

The parcel of land in Earlwood, part of the Wolli Creek Regional Park, has been relinquished from Roads and Maritime Services to National Parks and Wildlife Service management.

It includes 1500 mature trees, and represents 11 per cent of the park’s highest priority bushland.

The land will join the other 43ha of the 50ha park already under NPWS management.

The transfer was welcome news for the Wolli Creek Preservation Society which is still reeling after 1.4ha of critically endangered bushland was cleared near Beverly Grove last year.

media_camera Wolli Creek Preservation Society celebrate at Iloura Reserve, Earlwood.

Members have been fighting to protect Wolli Creek since the ’70s, and the latest win has only spurred them on. The society’s Peter Stevens said the organisation now has a fresh campaign – to complete the park by 2018.

“(2018) will be the 25th anniversary of the society’s proposal to create a regional park to protect the Wolli Creek bushland,” Mr Stevens said.

“There are only about 3ha to go and the vast bulk of that is in the hands of state government agencies. So, it’s definitely time to finish the job and it’s doable by 2018, given the political will.”

The society celebrated its latest win at Illoura Reserve last weekend.

In attendance were MPs Sophie Cotsis, Steve Kamper and Chris Minns and MLC Penny Sharpe among others.