Bush Heritage adds Bon Bon Station to Nation's Conservation Estate

Conservation group Bush Heritage Australia has created history after forming a landmark alliance with the Federal and South Australian governments to purchase and protect a 216,700 ha former sheep-grazing property near Coober Pedy.

Bush Heritage, whose vision is to protect 1 per cent of Australia’s most important conservation land by 2025, will own and manage Bon Bon Station in perpetuity under an agreement with the SA Department for Environment and Heritage (DEH).

The acquisition marks the first time a Commonwealth and state government have co-contributed to the establishment of a permanent private protected area at such a vast  scale.

DEH contributed $1 million of the funds required by Bush Heritage to secure the property, while the Australian Government contributed $2.1 million through the National Reserve System (NRS) program.

Bush Heritage set a target of $4.6 million to secure the property's acquisition and long-term management. With Bush Heritage's supporters already having contributed around $800,000, an additional $700,000 is still required.

Bush Heritage Australia CEO Doug Humann said the acquisition of Bon Bon Station was an example of the not-for-profit organisation working with various levels of government for the benefit of future generations.

"Both the South Australian and Federal governments have recognised the importance of the conservation goal Bush Heritage is pursuing and we are extremely grateful for their ongoing support," he said.

“This history-making alliance has proven that if an organisation such as ours has a vision and the people to make it a reality, governments will unite to support them financially.”

Remotely situated between the Great Victoria Desert and the large salt lakes of Eyre, Torrens and Gairdner, Bon Bon Station is approximately the size of suburban Sydney and will help protect the environment in South Australia’s arid centre.

Its conservation values will be permanently protected under a Heritage Agreement.

Mr Humann said the purchase of the former pastoral property was an outstanding opportunity to protect ecosystems currently under-represented in the national reserve system and to restore the health and productivity of those that have been grazed.

“Bon Bon is regarded as among the most ecologically intact sheep-grazing properties in South Australia but there remains plenty of hard work to be done,” he said.

“Our job is to continue the regeneration of native vegetation which has been started by the previous owner. This will help create a vital refuge for many species of significant plants and animals in the region, as well as build a more representative reserve system for Australia.”

Bush Heritage Australia already owns and manages a 64,337 hectare former pastoral property in South Australia under an arrangement involving the DEH, NRS and the Nature Foundation of South Australia.

“Our organisation is working diligently with governments, private landholders, other non-government organisations and individuals to ensure the future protection of biodiversity in Australia,” Mr Humann said.

Mr Humann said Bon Bon Reserve would complement Bush Heritage’s existing arid zone reserves such as the similarly vast Craven’s Peak and Ethabuka Reserves in far western Queensland.

“We will also be liaising with the Traditional Owners of the land and inviting them to become actively involved in the reserve’s management,” he said.

Bush Heritage Australia, which was founded in 1990, is a not-for-profit organisation that protects Australia’s unique animals and plants and their habitats. It owns and manages 30 reserves throughout Australia covering almost 1 million hectares. It plans to own and help other landowners manage more than 7 million hectares by 2025.

Visit Bon Bon Reserve

ABC Radio South Australia interview with Doug Humann. ( MP3 file, duration: 8'32")

For media enquiries and photographs:
Doug Humann      
Bush Heritage CEO 
0428 393 704 or (03) 8610 9127   

Paul Foreman
Bush Heritage Ecologist
0429 134 592

Photo of Sturt Desert Pea by by Dr Kate Fitzherbert, Bush Heritage Assessment and Property Services Manager