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NRM South is proud to announce a significant milestone in our ongoing commitment to Tasmania’s unique natural assets and landscapes. NRM South has been awarded $3.5 million in funding as part of the Australian Government’s $60 million national investment in feral cat management, announced this month by The Hon Tanya Plibersek MP. This funding will support NRM South’s ‘Biodiverse Bruny’ initiative, a strategic, multi-faceted program that not only targets feral cat control but is also working to protect and enhance biodiversity values on Bruny Island.
NRM South has led projects on Bruny Island for close to two decades, focusing on a range of conservation issues and threatened species. A recent Australian Government funded project to manage feral, stray and domestic cats in north Bruny Island saw the removal of over 120 feral and stray cats, and increased community awareness about cat management. Through the Biodiverse Bruny project, NRM South will work to sustain these outcomes through ongoing feral cat control at key sites – protecting species such as little penguins, shearwaters, and eastern quolls. NRM South will also be leading research into the distribution of rabbits on the island, a species that supports feral cats, to inform ongoing management efforts.
This project aligns with a broader national action plan to mitigate the severe impact of feral cats on Australia’s native wildlife, contributing to both local and national conservation goals. Nepelle Crane, CEO for NRM South, noted: ‘Our work goes beyond immediate actions, contributing to a larger, strategic effort to conserve Tasmania’s unique natural values. By enhancing biodiversity on Bruny Island, we are helping to protect our region’s natural heritage, ecological health, and sustainability.’
NRM South is dedicated to building a resilient region that supports sustainable livelihoods and preserves the natural values of our region.
‘Through collaboration with diverse partners, we drive impactful on-ground actions, initiate innovative and strategic projects, and empower our local industries, businesses and community with the knowledge and tools needed to protect and enhance our natural landscapes’, Nepelle added.
‘Our core funding, supported by the Tasmanian Government, provides us with the essential foundations to attract additional funding and resources to deliver critical projects such as Biodiverse Bruny’.
The Biodiverse Bruny project, funded by the Australian Government Natural Heritage Trust and delivered by NRM South, a member of the Commonwealth Regional Delivery Partners panel, runs until June 2028 and will use a range of complementary approaches to protect important habitat and native species – with a particular focus on Forty-spotted Pardalotes and Eastern Quolls, and Aboriginal cultural burning.
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