
Mount Gibson Mine Plans Its Fightback
The Tiny Digger at the Heart of Australia's Ecological Fightback
Like a furry cannonball shot into the cool night, it soared through the air. The creature landed on acacia scrub, a landscape it had not seen for a century. This was a significant leap for a brush-tailed bettong, one of 147 released into a special sanctuary. A bold plan is being spearheaded by the Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC). The organisation aims to restore the country's ravaged ecosystems. The release operation, on a property that was once a sheep farm, marks a pivotal moment. The sanctuary is situated near the wheatbelt's edge, a considerable drive north-east from Perth. This small step is part of a giant mission to reclaim Australia's natural heritage from the brink of collapse.
The operation symbolises a new, aggressive approach to conservation. It moves beyond passive protection. The AWC is actively rebuilding ecosystems. This particular bettong release is an element of a larger, ambitious strategy. The organisation intends to expand its conservation work to cover five percent of the entire Australian continent. This is a response to a crisis. Australia suffers one of the most severe mammal extinction rates on the planet. The reintroduction of this small marsupial represents a tangible act of hope. It is a calculated move to reverse decades of ecological decline.
A Continent in Crisis
Australia holds a grim record. The nation has lost more than 30 mammal varieties unique to the continent since European colonisation. This rate of extinction is unparalleled globally. The primary culprits are not native. Introduced predators, specifically invasive cats and foxes, have devastated vulnerable wildlife populations. These efficient hunters have spread across the entire continent. They have pushed countless species to the verge of disappearing forever. Habitat destruction from land clearing for agriculture and urban development has compounded the problem. It has left native animals with nowhere to hide.
The government at the federal level has acknowledged the situation's severity. It has made a commitment to prevent any new extinctions. Canberra also has a goal to protect 30 percent of the nation's land by 2030. This aligns with the "30x30" global conservation initiative. However, advocacy organisations like the AWC argue that simply designating protected areas is not enough. Without active and effective management, these paper parks do little to stop the tide of extinction. The real work involves controlling feral predators, managing fire regimes, and restoring habitats to make these areas genuinely safe for native species.
The Unseen Gardener
The brush-tailed bettong, known as the woylie, once thrived across 60 percent of mainland Australia. This small, nocturnal marsupial is a member of the rat-kangaroo family. It weighs just over a kilogram. The woylie is more than just another small creature of the bush. It is a vital ecosystem engineer. Its survival is intricately linked to the health of the entire landscape. Foraging for its primary food source, underground fungi or truffles, the woylie performs a critical service. It digs constantly.
This digging is not random. A single bettong can turn over approximately five tonnes of soil every year. This activity aerates the earth, improving water infiltration and nutrient cycling. The small pits it creates become germination sites for native plants. By consuming and excreting fungal spores, the woylie spreads essential mycorrhizal fungi throughout the ecosystem. These fungi form symbiotic relationships with the roots of many native plants, helping them absorb water and nutrients. The bettong is, in effect, a tireless gardener. Its disappearance has silenced a key process of ecological renewal.
A Spring-loaded Leap to Freedom
The recent release at the Mount Gibson site was a carefully orchestrated event. The 147 bettongs originated from a thriving population. This group lived inside a fenced "safe haven" of 8,000 hectares located within the sanctuary's bounds. This predator-proof enclosure was established to protect a founder group of 162 bettongs released in 2015. Shielded from the lethal threat posed by invasive felines and foxes, their numbers have swelled to around 1,000. This success created a source population for reintroduction into the wider, managed landscape.
Wildlife ecologist Dr Bryony Palmer describes the release as an explosive moment. The bettongs leap from their bags, orienting themselves in mid-air before disappearing into the scrub. Their instinct is immediate: escape and explore. Now, outside the main fence, they face a different world. The AWC manages predator numbers in this larger area, but the risks are greater. The aspiration is that the bettongs will not only survive but establish a self-sustaining population. Their return signifies the first time in perhaps 100 years they have roamed this specific landscape freely.
Fortress Against Extinction
Mount Gibson Wildlife Sanctuary is a cornerstone of the AWC's strategy. The 131,000-hectare property, previously a sheep station, was acquired in 2001. It is located in a unique transitional zone. The flora of the southwest meets the arid ecosystems of the Eremean province. This gives it exceptional biodiversity. The sanctuary hosts magnificent eucalypt woodlands of salmon gum, York gum, and gimlet, which have been largely cleared elsewhere in the Wheatbelt region. This makes it a crucial refuge for threatened flora and fauna.
The sanctuary's heart is the 7,838-hectare fenced exclosure. This structure is the largest area on mainland Western Australia kept clear of cats and foxes. Completed after nine months of construction, the 43-kilometre fence is specially designed with a curved overhang and a wire skirt to be impenetrable to predators. It is not just an enclosure; it is an "exclosure," designed to keep invasive species out. This fortress provides the security needed to re-establish populations of Australia's most vulnerable animals, creating a living museum of the continent's past.
A Noah's Ark of Returnees
The bettong is not the only species making a comeback at the Mount Gibson location. The sanctuary is a stage for one of Australia's most ambitious rewilding projects. Since its establishment, ten types of native mammals, many of them locally extinct for decades, have been reintroduced. The objective is to restore a semblance of the ecosystem that existed prior to the introduction of non-native predators. Species like the greater stick-nest rat, the numbat, and the western barred bandicoot now inhabit the protected area.
The chuditch, Western Australia's largest native marsupial carnivore, is another recent returnee. Its reintroduction is expected to increase the species' global population by a significant margin. Each reintroduction is carefully planned and monitored. Scientists track the animals using radio collars and camera traps. They study their survival rates, habitat use, and breeding success. The project aims to eventually host over 7,000 animals across nine threatened species inside the protected zone, a vital insurance population against national extinction.
A New Vision for Conservation
The work being done at the Mount Gibson property is a model for a much grander vision. AWC's chief executive, Tim Allard, has outlined a bold new 10-year strategic plan. The organisation aims to expand its conservation footprint from 1.7 percent to five percent of Australia's landmass by 2035. This is not just about acquiring more land. It is about implementing effective, science-led conservation on a scale that can genuinely turn the tide of biodiversity loss.
This strategy involves a dual approach. The AWC will continue to establish and manage its own wildlife sanctuaries. It will also deepen its partnerships with other landholders. These include First Nations groups, government agencies, and, crucially, pastoral companies. With 54 percent of Australia's landscape used for livestock grazing, finding ways for conservation and agriculture to coexist is essential. Allard stresses that lines on a map are meaningless if the corresponding land is not actively and effectively conserved.
The Financial Challenge
Achieving this ambitious goal requires a significant financial expansion. The AWC plans to grow its annual revenue from $40 million to $100 million. This funding, sourced largely through charitable donations, is vital for carrying out on-the-ground actions. These include feral animal control, fire management, and the complex logistics of reintroduction programs. To help drive this fundraising effort, the AWC has brought Matt Kean onto its board. He is a former NSW Liberal treasurer, and his profile and experience are expected to help increase the organisation's reach.
Allard notes a stark imbalance in global conservation funding. A majority of the world's biological diversity is found in the Southern Hemisphere, while most of the planet's wealth is concentrated in the Northern Hemisphere. AWC aims to make an international case for Australia, seeking global investment to protect the continent's unique and threatened natural heritage. The organisation argues that environmental causes currently receive only about two percent of all charitable giving in Australia, a figure that needs to increase to meet the scale of the challenge.
Beyond the Sanctuary Fence
AWC's strategy extends far beyond its fenced reserves. The organisation is pioneering partnerships with pastoralists to integrate conservation into working agricultural landscapes. One of its most significant collaborations is with the North Australian Pastoral Company (NAPCO). This partnership model seeks to scale up conservation efforts across vast tracts of land. The approach involves implementing conservation-friendly practices, such as strategic grazing patterns, protecting waterways, and collaborating on broad-scale feral predator control.
These partnerships recognise that conservation cannot succeed in isolated pockets. It must become part of the management of the wider landscape. The AWC also works closely with First Nations peoples, who are the land's traditional owners. In the central desert, a partnership with the Ngalia traditional owners at a 400,000-hectare site connects to AWC's Newhaven Sanctuary. These collaborations integrate deep Indigenous ecological knowledge with modern conservation science, creating a more holistic and effective approach to land management.
The Science of Survival
Science underpins every aspect of AWC's work. The organisation runs Australia's largest non-government biodiversity monitoring program, known as Ecohealth. This program measures the status of ecosystems and the impact of conservation actions. Before starting work at a new site, scientists conduct a complete inventory of its biodiversity. They then continuously monitor threats like feral animals and weeds, and track the recovery of native species. This data provides a model of accountability. It ensures that conservation actions are effective and that funds are invested efficiently.
This science-led approach involves targeted research to fill knowledge gaps. Ecologists use a range of techniques, from radio-collars and camera traps to genetic analysis and satellite imagery. At the Mount Gibson property, a group of botanists is getting ready to survey the area. The team will study whether the digging from the reintroduced bettongs is starting to foster the growth of more local flora. This commitment to measurable outcomes and scientific rigour is central to AWC's claim of delivering effective conservation.
An Army of Tiny Engineers
The ecological benefits of the bettongs' return could be immense. As these special "engineers of the ecosystem" establish themselves, their digging will begin to heal the soil. The tiny pits they create trap moisture and organic matter, creating fertile patches for seeds to sprout. Ecologists working within the protected section of the Mount Gibson sanctuary have already observed this effect. The ground is dotted with small holes where seedlings are taking root. This process helps restore the natural structure and function of the bushland.
These benefits may already be spreading beyond the initial release sites. There have been reports of bettongs being spotted outside the main protected haven at the sanctuary. The fence is six feet high, but woylies are surprisingly good climbers. This suggests that the restored population is beginning to expand naturally into the wider, managed landscape. Each bettong that moves beyond the fence carries with it the potential to spread seeds, disperse fungal spores, and kick-start ecological recovery in new areas.
A Blueprint for Global Action
The crisis facing Australia's wildlife is a local manifestation of a worldwide issue. Biodiversity is declining at an alarming rate across the globe. The AWC's strategy offers a potential blueprint for how to respond. It is proactive, ambitious, and grounded in science. By combining the establishment of heavily protected safe havens with broader landscape-scale partnerships, it provides a multi-layered defence against extinction. The focus on active management rather than passive protection is a key lesson.
Tim Allard has described the new 10-year plan as the most audacious private initiative in the nation's history to address the extinction crisis. It is a declaration that waiting is not an option. While acknowledging the major challenge of biodiversity decline, the organisation frames it as a significant chance to innovate and lead. The objective is to present a message of optimism, demonstrating that with strategic action and sufficient resources, it is possible to pull species back from the brink and restore entire ecosystems.
The Future of the Bush
The image of a bettong leaping into the night air above the Mount Gibson landscape is a powerful symbol. It represents a deliberate and calculated effort to turn back the clock on extinction. The success of this project, and of AWC's broader 5% goal, depends on sustained effort and funding. It requires the continued control of feral predators, the careful management of fire and land, and the support of communities, governments, and philanthropists.
The small marsupial, digging for truffles in the dark, is now at the forefront of this national conservation battle. Its survival is a measure of the ecosystem's own vitality. The work at the Mount Gibson property and other AWC sanctuaries is more than just a series of isolated projects. It is a concerted attempt to re-establish the intricate web of life that has been so badly torn. It is a vision for a future where the Australian bush is not a "marsupial ghost town," but a landscape filled with the movements of its unique and wonderful native creatures.
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