The Supporting Complementary Covenants program, a partnership program with the Northern Rivers Catchment Management Authority, protected new conservation areas on four properties in north-eastern NSW. Over 200 hectares was protected including ecosystems of high conservation value and areas within wildlife corridors. The new conservation areas provide a valuable contribution to the conservation of priority landscapes in north-eastern NSW.
The new conservation areas include:
- 59 ha of lowland forest at Bungawalbin containing significant areas of two endangered ecological communities. There are two wetlands, three threatened fauna species including the Yellow-Bellied Glider, and three threatened plants including Noah's False Chickweed, an endangered herb that only occurs in three other sites in NSW and around 20 sites across Australia.
- 43 ha near Kyogle, protecting an important link to the Border Ranges wilderness area, bounded in part by the stunning Collins Creek and supporting Sclerophyll Forest and the endangered ecological community Lowland Rainforest. There are at least two threatened fauna species, the Koala and Masked Owl.
- 73 ha in the Tweed Valley containing a great diversity of plant species in the Sclerophyll Forest including the endangered Green-Leaved Rose Walnut, vulnerable Rough-Shelled Bush Nut and vulnerable Fine-Leaved Tuckeroo. There is also over 1 km of creek frontage lined with rainforest trees and river oak.
- 40 ha of coastal sand-plain near Lennox Head. The area supports heathlands and coastal Banksia, both under-reserved ecosystems plus an endangered ecological community Swamp Sclerophyll. The wet heath provides habitat for two threatened frog species, the Wallum Froglet and Wallum Sedge Frog.
