We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the region that includes the Eaglehawk Waterhole Restoration Reserve, the Potaruwutj people, and respect their deep and ongoing connection to this land.
Background Information on the property:
On the 20th December 2013 – thanks to the generous financial support of the Native Vegetation Council and Nature Foundation SA Inc. – Eaglehawk Waterhole became Nature Glenelg Trust’s first Habitat Restoration Reserve. Then in early 2022, a further 199 hectares was added to the reserve, bringing the total reserve size to 885 hectares (2,186 acres).
NGT independently funded the purchase of Stage II, as part of a process that took five years to unfold and was only possible because of the foresight, generosity and cooperation of our neighbour. We especially recognise Charlie Koch and his family from Tallageira Pastoral Company for their patience and commitment to seeing this fantastic outcome for Eaglehawk Waterhole come to fruition.
Eaglehawk Waterhole is a private property in the Upper South East of South Australia, situated approximately 2 km west of the Little Desert National Park and state border with Victoria.
The vast majority of the land was grazed by sheep and partially cleared but still retained significant established tree, shrub and understorey cover, complemented by a number of smaller areas which were already protected under conservation agreements. Given their condition, the grazed and cleared areas provided a unique opportunity to preserve a range of important biodiversity values that we knew would respond favourably to a change in land management, but would have otherwise been eventually lost under a more intensive farming regime which could have occurred if NGT had not stepped in. The Stage II area also includes areas of remnant vegetation, as well as previously cleared but now revegetated or regenerating areas.
The property forms part of a general area (the Bangham district) with higher native vegetation remnancy that was highlighted as a priority zone for conservation activities in the Biodiversity Plan for the South East (Croft et al 1999). The property also retains important, currently unprotected habitat for species and communities listed under the EPBC Act 1999, such as the South-eastern Red-tailed Black-cockatoo and the Seasonal Herbaceous Wetlands of the Lowland Plains (nationally listed critically endangered).
This project is:
- enabling perpetual protection & restoration of grassy woodland, heathy woodland, heathland and wetland habitat in a strategic district where increasing landscape connectivity is a priority activity,
- growing the National Reserve System (NRS) estate in an under-represented bioregion,
- contributing to the recovery of EPBC Act listed species and communities, and
- providing a community hub and strategic demonstration site for the public to experience, learn about, & become involved in, large-scale habitat restoration.
The future:
Updates on the project will be posted on the NGT blog and linked to this project page (see below) – we hope you will take an active interest in our efforts to restore and manage this important property over the months and years ahead…!
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