New Private Reserve Managers in the Border Ranges
The growing band of Nature Conservation Trust (NCT) Private Reserve Managers has been joined by 7 landholders in the Border Ranges region of northeast New South Wales, who have recently signed conservation agreements with the NCT.
The agreements, protecting forever over 170 hectares of high conservation land, came about due to a Covenanting Program delivered by the NCT – with support from the Great Eastern Ranges Initiative – assisted by the NSW Government Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water and the NSW Environmental Trust.
The newly protected properties contain the endangered Lowland Rainforest ecological community, along with stands of 3 forest ecosystems under-represented in the public reserve system. They also contain at least 9 threatened plant species, including the nationally threatened Red-fruited Ebony, Coolamon and Rusty Rose Walnut, and 21 threatened animal species, such as the nationally threatened Grey-headed Flying-fox.
Dunn’s Farm, adjacent to Toonumbar National Park, is home to many threatened plants and animals. Mr John Corkill, company secretary for Rednecked Holdings Pty Ltd – the company that owns Dunn’s Farm – believes private land conservation can play an important role in wildlife conservation.
'Our company has dedicated 20% of Dunn’s Farm to conservation purposes', said Mr Corkill. ‘We’d encourage other private landholders to also dedicate significant areas of their properties for wildlife preservation, through conservation agreements such as those created by the NCT.'
Field surveys focussing on endangered ecological communities – as well as on threatened plant and animal species and their habitats – have been conducted on the conservation areas of all properties protected through the Covenanting Program.
Funding for on-ground works – such as weed control and installation of nest boxes – has been provided to the 7 landholders to help them to better manage threats to the conservation areas of their properties and enhance conservation values. The landholders will receive ongoing stewardship and support from the NCT to manage their protected areas.
For further information about the NCT’s Covenanting Programs please contact the NCT office nearest you – go to nct.org.au for contact details.
