A new conservation partnership aims to return native mammals to Lungtalanana (Clarke Island) in Bass Strait, supporting an Aboriginal-led effort to restore wildlife populations lost following European colonisation.
Publicly launched on 19 October 2026, the project brings together the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre and environmental markets company GreenCollar to support the proposed reintroduction of the Bass Strait wombat, Bennett’s wallaby and nationally vulnerable long-nosed potoroo. The island’s broader restoration plans also include the New Holland mouse.
The initiative builds on years of restoration work undertaken by Pakana Rangers across the approximately 8,200-hectare island, where introduced predators, historical grazing and severe bushfires have significantly altered native habitats.
It also introduces a new approach to conservation funding, using biodiversity credits intended to generate ongoing financial support for restoring and managing the island’s ecosystems.
Restoring Lungtalanana
Lungtalanana has undergone extensive environmental change since European colonisation. Large areas were cleared for sheep and cattle grazing, while introduced animals, including feral cats, rabbits and rodents, placed additional pressure on native wildlife.
The disruption of traditional cultural burning also altered the island’s vegetation. In 2014, a major bushfire affected approximately 98 per cent of Lungtalanana, further damaging habitats already transformed by generations of land use.
Returned to Tasmanian Aboriginal ownership in 2005, the island is now the focus of a long-term effort to restore healthy Country. Pakana Rangers have resumed cultural burning, undertaken weed control and established wildlife monitoring programs to better understand the species that remain.
Ecological surveys conducted with WWF Australia provide some indication of the challenges involved. Five nights of trapping detected two native frog species and a mountain heath dragon, but no small native mammals. The survey was limited, however, and its findings do not establish that small native mammals are entirely absent from the island.
Bringing Native Wildlife Back
The return of locally extinct mammals is central to the restoration effort, but introduced predators remain a major obstacle. Feral cats pose a particular threat to smaller species, making their removal an important part of preparations for reintroduction.
Earlier monitoring estimated approximately 80 feral cats on Lungtalanana. Pakana Rangers have since employed a combination of wildlife cameras, trapping and specialised Felixer devices designed to target feral cats.
The eradication effort has also drawn on Aboriginal knowledge from elsewhere in Australia. In 2025, Warlpiri master tracker Christine Napanangka Ellis Michaels visited Lungtalanana to share traditional tracking techniques with Pakana Rangers, helping strengthen their approach to locating and managing feral cats.
The Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre’s restoration plan identifies feral cat removal as a priority during the first two years, with native mammal reintroductions planned for years three to seven. Preparations for returning wombats are already underway, although the Centre has not confirmed that eradication is complete or announced specific release dates.
A New Approach to Conservation Funding
One of the partnership’s more significant developments is a funding model designed to support conservation beyond the initial restoration work.
Through the NaturePlus biodiversity credit scheme, improvements in wildlife populations and environmental condition are intended to be measured and independently verified using the Accounting for Nature framework. Biodiversity credits representing those improvements can then be purchased by organisations seeking to support conservation.
An environmental account covering 7,764.5 hectares of Lungtalanana was registered in August 2026. It will use camera trapping to monitor ground-dwelling mammals as feral cat control and native species reintroductions progress. The account is still being developed for certification, meaning verified conservation outcomes have not yet been established.
GreenCollar has identified Bank Australia, St Jerome’s Laneway Festival and the Australian Government as contracted credit purchasers. The artist-led environmental organisation FEAT is also supporting the project through partnerships with musicians and festivals.
For the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre, the arrangement offers a potential source of ongoing funding for wildlife management and habitat restoration, although its long-term success will depend on measurable ecological improvements and independent verification.
Editorial Note: This article is based on publicly available information from the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre, GreenCollar, Accounting for Nature and conservation organisations involved in the restoration of Lungtalanana. Proposed wildlife reintroductions and biodiversity credit arrangements are reported according to their announced status as of October 2026.
Cover Image by Graeme Bartlett / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0.
