Tasmania Land Conservancy seals deal to protect critical habitat at Little Swanport Reserve on the state’s East Coast

Patrons of Dark Mofo along with a big fundraising campaign has led to the protection of Little Swanport Reserve on the state’s East Coast, which is a haven to species including the Tasmanian devil, Tasmanian bettong, eastern quoll, eastern barred bandicoot and the spotted quail thrush.

PROTECTED: Little Swanport Reserve, on Tasmania’s East Coast, has been purchased by the Tasmanian Land Conservancy. Picture: ANDY TOWNSEND

CRITICAL habitat that supports the endangered swift parrot and other at-risk animals such as the Tasmanian devil, eastern quoll and bettong will be protected by an environmental land deal at Little Swanport.

The Tasmanian Land Conservancy recently finalised the purchase of 150ha for the Little Swanport Reserve, 25km north of Triabunna, on the state’s East Coast.

A fundraising campaign, launched in May 2018, attracted donations from supporters throughout Australia and hit its target of $750,000 in late June 2019. Money will also be directed to the TLC Foundation to assist in research and monitoring.

TLC acting CEO Sally Bryant said Little Swanport Reserve safeguards core breeding habitat for the critically endangered swift parrot and protects a large patch of threatened old-growth blue gum forest and other declining woodland species.

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The Reserve also offers a haven to species including the Tasmanian devil, Tasmanian bettong, eastern quoll, eastern barred bandicoot and the spotted quail thrush.

“The fantastic success of this campaign demonstrates the overwhelming desire of people to permanently protect land, especially threatened species,” Dr Bryant told the Sunday Tasmanian.

“It helps everyone see old-growth forest not just as timber, but an irreplaceable part of nature.”

PROTECTED: Little Swanport Reserve, on Tasmania’s East Coast, has been purchased by the Tasmanian Land Conservancy. Picture: ANDY TOWNSEND

The TLC now owns 20 permanent reserves and other conservation properties across 30,000ha in Tasmania.

Following the push to protect Little Swanport Reserve, the TLC hopes to announce a new acquisition campaign in November.

“We have a list of properties in the Midlands, northeast and southeast that need urgent protection, but we can’t buy it all, so our role helping others better manage their land is just as important,” Dr Bryant said.

TLC philanthropy and engagement manager Margie Jenkin said the Little Swanport campaign had been well supported.

“Many people had enduring connections to the area, and to the work of the TLC. Among the hundreds of people who donated were Dark Mofo goers who opted in to make a contribution to conservation when booking a festival ticket, or who dropped change in to the nesting box at the swift parrot ogoh-ogoh at Mac Point,” she said.

Ms Jenkin said the Little Swanport community had been active in conservation and, over the past 15 years, local landholders, the TLC and state and federal governments had combined to build a network of habitat corridors in the area.

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Prior to the purchase, the property was part of a larger private estate called Hillmont which comprised land partly cleared for livestock grazing.

Logging and some gravel extraction also took place there and sheep grazing continued on the property up until last month.

The Reserve is in the lower part of the Little Swanport River catchment on hillslopes near where the Little Swanport River meets the sea.

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