1082 Mud Flat Road Drake NSW 2469

Are you searching for a conservation property? Ever wondered how you can do your bit to preserve and protect Australian flora and fauna? This is a rare opportunity for you (and your family and friends) to own your own camping/holiday escape and to get hands-on with restoration and protection of its important biodiversity assets.

The hard work has been done. The current owner has had a career in national park and Indigenous land management and knows the value of protecting this generous area of intact forest from further logging, subdivision, clearing and the associated impacts of soil erosion, exotic weeds and feral animals. There’s a lot still to do, but a lot of fun and adventure to be had along the way. Your passion, imagination and enthusiasm will be boosted.

‘Wonga’, 320 hectares (800 acres) of grassy Eucalypt forest in the catchment of the mighty Clarence River has a Biodiversity Conservation covenant, protecting it forever. The covenant (with the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust, BCT) spells out the wildlife values (species of plants and animals found or expected to be found) of the property and provides guidelines for their ongoing protection and recovery.

Features include:
• About 15 kms from the village of Drake in Northern NSW, about less than 4 hours from Brisbane.
• Part of a large area of forest, eastern slope of the Great Dividing Range, and adjacent to State Forest
• A well-constructed 5m x12m cabin/shed with water tank, outdoor kitchen/cooking facilities and toilet, affording delightful, comfortable camping and a base for you to explore, bushwalk and learn about the wildlife of the property, eg checking wildlife cameras, spotlighting for species such as koalas, possums and gliders.
• Mobile/internet coverage available at the cabin and several other high points around the property.
• Dwelling permissible, through Development Application to Tenterfield Shire Council
• Nil council rates on the Conservation Agreement area (this is 97% of the property). Total rates approx. $400/year.
• 310 hectares under Conservation Agreement as well as 10 hectares (in 3 separate parcels) excluded from the agreement which allow for domestic or potentially small scale commercial activities (eg bush camping, eco-cabins, orchard, gardening, trail rides etc).
• A network of bush tracks offering access to the diverse parts of the property and providing handy firebreaks for preventing wildfires or facilitating smaller, cooler management burns.
• Altitude about 600m ASL, semi-permanent creeks, (swimming holes on those hot summer days), several high points (distant views over the Clarence and Timbarra Rivers and to Mt Barney in Queensland to the north)
• Only partially fenced, the steepness of the country makes full fencing difficult and of marginal benefit
• A small cattle yard and trapping facility for reducing the impact of a few feral cattle.
• Habitat for at least 22 threatened animal species and 1 threatened plant species, including;
o Koala
o Glossy black cockatoo
o Little lorikeet
o Spotted-tailed Quoll
o Powerful Owl
o Grey-headed Flying Fox
o Giant Barred Frog
o Rufous Bettong
• Several nestboxes have been installed, to improve wildlife habitat
• 8 years of historical monitoring records and an established land management monitoring framework. Several permanent sites for annually photographing land condition and documenting fire/weed/research activities.
• Collection of firewood for personal heating/campfire use is permitted
• The property is recovering well from historical logging and bushfires in 2019. Many large, hollow-bearing trees remain and regrowth is well advanced.
• Previous lantana infestations are now largely under control.
• Interested buyers can access the following documents on request:
o Conservation Agreement under the National parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 1974
o Wonga Monitoring Reports 2016-2024
o Wonga plant list
o Wildlife sightings from a nearby property
o Threatened species of the Drake area (from Bionet)

There is more wonderful and satisfying work to be done! Expert advice and access to land management funding support is available. You will have all you need to continue the conservation work and enjoy the many delightful features of the property, while achieving real and lasting benefits for Australia’s precious wildlife.