Creating an island safe haven for threatened species

Off of South Australia’s spectacular west coast, an island refuge is being created for nationally threatened mammals, including the banded hare-wallaby.

In May, a $4.8 million project will begin to eradicate pest animals from Flinders Island - which is about 30km offshore of Elliston - to allow for the reintroduction of a number of threatened native animals, some of which once inhabited the island.

Targeted operations will run until December 2025 in an attempt to rid the island of feral cats, rats and mice. The baiting operations will occur outside of shorebird and seabird breeding seasons.

Why Flinders Island?

At nearly 4000ha, Flinders Island is SA’s fourth largest island and is surrounded by the Investigator Group Marine Park protected area. The privately-owned island features 50km of diverse coastline and native vegetation covering about 75 per cent of the island.

Subfossil remains of native mammals, including the tammar wallaby and southern brown bandicoot, indicate the diverse range of small mammals that once inhabited the island but became extinct there after the pests were introduced in the mid-1900s.

Visitors from around the world currently visit the island to appreciate its stunning natural environment.

Who is involved?

This project is jointly funded by the Australian Government, the South Australian Department for Environment and Water and the Eyre Peninsula Landscape Board in partnership with the island’s owners, the Woolford family.

The Woolford family is dedicated to creating a haven for threatened species and is working with a skilled team to enhance the island’s ecosystem.

Island visitors play a key role when it comes to protecting Flinders Island from unwanted pests and diseases, and strict biosecurity measures are essential for the project’s success.

Why is the government investing in a project operated on privately owned land?

Working collaboratively with private landholders is recognised as a critically important step in modern conservation efforts. The Woolford’s have agreed to place a conservation agreement over most of the island, in addition to a 1995 Heritage Agreement that covers about 250 hectares.

Additionally, the unique nature of islands come with natural biosecurity barriers that dramatically reduces the cost to maintain a feral-free environment and provides a high level of ongoing protection against reinvasion.

With a natural biosecurity system in place, the government investment seeks to achieve eradication of the introduced species that impact the native biodiversity and prevent the successful reintroduction of threatened species.

The importance of biodiversity

About $70 billion of the state’s economic activity - including $11 billion in exports - and a third of its workforce (282,000 FTEs) have a dependence on nature.

Across the globe, biodiversity is under threat. In South Australia more than 1,100 of our plants and animal species are listed as threated with extinction. Since European settlement, an estimated 73 species have become extinct in South Australia.