A national conservation group has bought 200 hectares on King Island to create a wildlife sanctuary for some of Australia’s most threatened species.
The Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC) announced last week it had bought the property on the island’s north-east coast, next to Lavinia State Reserve.
It is the organisation’s first property in Tasmania. The sanctuary is about 36 kilometres north of Currie, the island’s main town.
The land, at 87 Martha Lavinia Road, will keep the name Boulder Wildlife Sanctuary, which neighbours and locals already use.
Property records show the land sold in March for $1,380,000.
The AWC said the site was home to the critically endangered King Island Scrubtit.
It estimates fewer than 100 of the birds remain, spread across three known isolated subpopulations.
The endangered King Island Brown Thornbill is also thought to rely on the area.
According to the organisation, at least 70% of the island’s native vegetation has been cleared for agriculture since European settlement, leaving the remaining habitat fragmented.
AWC chief executive Tim Allard said the purchase would build on work already done on the island.
“Locals have worked for decades to protect the island’s unique natural heritage,” he said.
“This acquisition represents an opportunity for AWC to build on the strong conservation foundations already established on the island and deliver our conservation model where it can have the greatest impact.”
King Island Landcare Group co-chair Kate Ravich welcomed the organisation’s arrival.
“Those of us who have been struggling to conserve or at least retain the status quo of our native flora and fauna for many years, are beyond delighted to have AWC on the island,” she said.
Ravich said the sanctuary would also bring more visitors to the island and support its economy, describing it as “a win-win for all”.
In the coming months, the AWC will carry out an ecological survey to record the wildlife on the property before active management begins.
Early work will include feral animal and weed control, planning for fire management and restoring habitat connectivity where possible.
The organisation then plans to develop a King Island Conservation Program with the local community to tackle threats across the island, particularly feral cats.
The AWC said the ongoing H5 bird flu outbreak in Bass Strait, which has already taken a heavy toll on coastal birds and marine mammals, made effective conservation on the island more urgent.
