NATURE
The property has been largely untouched for many thousands of years. Only a small part was farmed for about 40 years in the early 1900s. In 2001 the Federal Government recognised the property’s special features that would add to the National Reserve and Australia’s obligations under the UN Biodiversity Convention (1992):
Old growth forest and a regenerated white gum colony on the southern slope,
Basalt columns running for 400 metres along the escarpment, and
A perched winter wetland in a lemon bottlebrush and tea tree forest surrounded by thick moss.
The Government wanted to see perpetual protection of the whole of the Erriba escarpment. Erriba Rise was central to this ambition and with the cooperation of neighbours and the National Parks, 140 acres are now protected. This exemplary cluster of conservation covenants have effectively created a private national park. More recently this protection has been reinforced and upgraded to exclude mining and logging with the rezoning to Landscape Conservation. Under the covenant the right to construct proper walking tracks was negotiated subject to ministerial consent - this will be an exciting and rewarding project for a future owner.
The non covenanted third of the property has been restored to its pre farming natural state with the planting of over 3000 trees and shrubs and 7000 native grasses over the last 25 years.
