Protecting Plassey

A patchwork of Tasmania’s critically endangered grasslands is protected by the Midlands Conservation Partnership.

Plassey lies in the quiet of the Isis Valley, framed by the moody rises of the Macquarie and Great Western Tiers, Palawa Country. In many ways, it is how you would imagine a farm in the Tasmanian Midlands: merino sheep grazing in sun-bleached fields; a pair of Wedge-tailed Eagles circling the powder-blue sky. But this place holds many stories – one of them of a farmer actively protecting the biodiversity values of his land.

When Luke Rapley inherited Plassey with his brother Mark, he was working in Cairns, studying mosquito control at James Cook University.

Taking over the property after his aunt’s death was a steep but enjoyable learning curve for Luke and his wife Michelle. It was not only the workload that offered surprising rewards, but the landscape itself. 

“We fell in love with the bush and grassland aspects of Plassey,” he says, “and we enjoyed introducing the bush to our two young children.” 

It’s easy to see why: Plassey’s patchwork of grasslands and forest has the makings of an enchanted world. The trees are mainly White Gums (Eucalyptus viminalis) and Black Peppermint (Eucalyptus amygdalina), with a sparse number of ancient Black Gums (Eucalyptus ovata). But, as senior ecologist for Bush Heritage Matt Appleby explains, the primary focus is not the forest but the grass – in particular, lowland native grassland. Plassey has 155 hectares of this critically endangered vegetation type that has, through recent clearing, intensive farming and changed fire regimes, been reduced to around 5% of its pre-European distribution. 

The term grassland does not convey the complexity of these ecosystems, for hidden among the knee high swathes of Kangaroo Grass (Themeda triandra) and clumps of Silver Tussock (Poa labillardierei) are a range of smaller, colourful plants: daisies, orchids, lilies and everlastings. Matt believes the quality of a grassland is influenced by its grazing regime.

Overgrazing kills many native grasses, while under-grazing can also be detrimental, allowing grasses to dominate and causing many species to disappear from those inter-tussock spaces. Towards the end of last year, one of Luke’s relatives, a volunteer at the Tasmanian Herbarium, overheard workers at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery (TMAG) discussing an upcoming Bioblitz. Plassey was suggested as a site worthy of a visit. A brief trip by two scientists soon expanded into a week-long survey, six months later, with ten scientists. The survey turned up some fascinating finds. 

There was Purple Blown-grass (Lachnagrostis semibarbata var semibarbata) in the fields and Swan Galaxias (Galaxias fontanus) in the streams. But perhaps the property’s flagship species is the charismatic Green-lined Ground Beetle (Catadromus lacordairei), an endangered predator with a lime-green iridescent edging to its body.

“It was wonderful to pull the kids out of school and follow the scientists around,” Luke recalls. 

During a ride, Luke first learned about stewardship agreements. 

“There was already a network of local farmers who are part of the Midlands Conservation Partnership,” says Luke, “and at least two of them were part of my mountain bike group.” The Midlands Conservation Partnership (MCP), helps encourage landowners to protect the natural values of their property through stewardship payments while still maintaining farming practices and grazing regimes. Established in 2011, this joint initiative between Bush Heritage Australia and Tasmanian Land Conservancy (TLC), is funded by the generosity of philanthropists.

Covenants have been favoured over stewardship agreements in the past; however, Natasha Stoudmann, a research fellow at the University of Tasmania, has studied the impacts of both for the past five years. Natasha concluded that, while there is no one-size-fits-all approach, stewardship agreements involving ongoing management, like controlled grazing or burning, appear to improve conditions in native grasslands. 

“They need that disturbance,” she says, “whereas covenants were particularly effective for grassy woodlands, where limiting disturbance allows native vegetation to thrive.” 

Controlling invasive species is an important conservation priority for Plassey and so is constant monitoring. Natasha is currently working through data collected by Matt and TLC’s Pierre Defourny to see how variables such as grazing regimes, climate, seasonal rainfall and the dominant grass type influence vegetation condition. 

“I think that’s one of the strengths of the stewardship network,” says Luke, “that we can get together and try to nut out some of these common problems.” 

As the first MCP agreement to be signed in five years, Plassey is to be applauded. The potential for the grasslands on the property is vast. As Prickly Box (Bursaria spinosa) replaces introduced gorse, Plassey will become an even safer home for the Tasmanian Devil (Sarcophilus harrisii), Eastern Quoll (Dasyurus viverriinus) and many other native species •

We gratefully acknowledge the support for the Midlands Conservation Partnership from the Sidney Myer Fund, the Myer Foundation, the Vincent Fairfax Family Foundation, the John T Reid Charitable Trusts, the Elsie Cameron Foundation and a number of private supporters. The Plassey stewardship agreement is delivered by the Midlands Conservation Partnership, through funding from the Australian Government’s Natural Heritage Trust, in partnership with NRM North, a member of the Commonwealth Regional Delivery Panel.