Private landholders bequeath natural playground to public

A hidden wilderness that was once earmarked for logging will be protected for all time because of the generosity of its private landowners.

James Hattam CEO of Tasmanian Land Conservancy. Picture: SUPPLIED

A HIDDEN wilderness that was once earmarked for logging will be protected for all time because of the generosity of its private landowners.

The owners of the 287ha property, called Iris Farm Nature Reserve, have made a commitment to bequest their property to the Tasmanian Land Conservancy to make it a permanent reserve.

Peter Sims and John Wilson originally purchased the property in 2002 to ensure it was saved from logging.

The Tasmanian Land Conservancy acquires Daisy Dell with land holders. Photograph shows TLC's CEO James Hattam with land owners Garry Clark, Dr John Wilson and Peter Sims and dog Jessie. Picture: EDDIE SAFARIK

“The land was purchased from a forestry company who were going to turn it into a plantation,” Mr Sims said.

“All of this country here was going into plantation.”

The unique land, with fern-covered trees hundreds of years old, will become part of the TLC’s expanding Daisy Dell protected area, which is on the edge of Tasmania’s iconic Cradle Mountain Valley.

As well as important natural values, such as rich biodiversity and wildlife habitat, the land has important Aboriginal values.

Mr Sims said the land was unchanged since pre-settlement times.

“It’s like stepping back in time, and we wanted to ensure this peace and tranquillity was protected for all time,” he said.

Mr Sims said some of the oldest trees on the property were enormous.

“There’s beautiful old growth forest with trees that would take 12 people with their hands linked together to go around,” he said.

The TLC’s Daisy Dell, including Iris Farm Nature Reserve, now covers just over 600ha.

The area links the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area with the forests of the northern tiers, creating a conservation corridor for species to flourish.

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TLC chief executive James Hattam said the unique conservation area was testament to people working together.

“This shows the power of people when they work together to contribute actively to conservation,” Mr Hattam said.

The TLC raised $700,000 to protect Daisy Dell in 2017, and began with the purchase of 105ha of land.

As well as the new commitment to bequest Iris Farm Nature Reserve to the TLC, another adjoining neighbour has also committed their 217ha property to the Daisy Dell reserve area.

The TLC is a not-for-profit community-based organisation that raises funds from the public to protect rare ecosystems by buying and managing private land.

Mr Hattam said people were become more interested in leaving land to the TLC, which already has just over 13,000ha of permanent reserves in perpetuity.

“There’s more and more people enquiring about bequesting to us in their will,” he said.

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