Queensland Nature Refuge owners share in $1.1 million funding

The owners of 80 nature refuges across Queensland will share in almost $1.1 million in the latest round of the Queensland Government’s Nature Refuge Landholder Grants Program.

Queensland is home to the largest network of nature refuges – privately-owned protected areas - in Australia, covering some 4.6 million hectares

These properties protect a diversity of ecosystems and threatened species, complementing Queensland’s existing national park system.

The Nature Refuge Landholder Grants Program supports landholders who are actively working to conserve and manage their properties.

Funding will this year help owners in the fight against weeds and pests, as well as restore habitats and protect important cultural and environmental sites.

Among the 80 Nature Refuge owners to receive funding are:

• Cobbold Gorge Nature Refuge, Forsayth which received $25,000 for their project to further protect the fauna and ecosystems from heavy foot traffic along Cobbold Creek banks and at strategic points along the tracks of the tour, by building elevated walkways and a pontoon as a dedicated entry point for Stand-Up Paddle boarding tours.

• Brookes Beach Nature Refuge, Garners Beach received $4,171 to install interpretive signage to promote the intrinsic values of the nature reserve as a cassowary habitat and rare ecosystem sanctuary. It will also fund the purchase of hardwood timber for steps.

• Freemans Forest Nature Refuge, Lake Eacham received $15,000 to construct a possum bridge over Lake Barrine Road next to Freemans Forest Nature Refuge to reduce the impact of this barrier on wildlife along the corridor.

• Mount Zero-Taravale Nature Refuge, Paluma received $24,606 to fund the purchase of bio-acoustic and remote camera trap technology to map current distributions of the Koala, Glossy Black Cockatoo, Masked Owl, Kultarr, Long-nosed Potoroo and Northern Quoll.              

Queensland Environment Minister Leanne Linard notes “Our national parks, nature refuges, and other protected areas combined cover 14.5 million hectares – that’s an area double the size of Tasmania.

“A big part of that is thanks to the generosity of land owners who have nominated parts of their land with high conservation value as nature refuges.

“Nature refuge owners deserve every bit of praise for their love for the environment, and this funding is critical to helping them look after the local ecosystems and animals they’ve chosen to protect.

“From fire management to weed eradication, wildlife fencing and tree hollow habitats, this funding will have a huge impact on natures refuges stretching from Cape York to the border.”

Full list of funding recipients

Image top: Cobbold Gorge Paddleboard tours;