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Mulligans Flat Nature Reserve is situated in the north-east section of the suburb of Gungahlin in Canberra, adjacent to the border between the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and New South Wales (NSW). It was established in 1995 to protect its box-gum woodlands and bird fauna and it has become a popular location for bushwalkers, bird watchers and orienteers. The reserve is linked to Goorooyarroo Nature Reserve to the southeast and is centrally located within an arc of woodland and forest vegetation that stretches northwest to the village of Hall.

Both Mulligans Flat and Goorooyarroo Nature Reserves are approximately 1,500 hectares in area and together they protect the largest and most intact contiguous area of Yellow Box - Red Gum Grassy Woodland in public ownership. This woodland type is listed as an Endangered Ecological Community under the ACT Nature Conservation Act 1980 and as Critically Endangered in the Schedules of the Commonwealth’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. The nature reserves also provide critical habitat for many animal and plant species that are characteristic of woodlands, including some that are also listed a threatened under the above legislation.

The woodland and forest communities between the Federal Highway and Hall form part of the National Capital Open Space System. As the urban area of Gungahlin grows to fill its planned area, the natural areas will become the major feature between the edge of the urban landscape and the ACT/NSW border. Land tenures include unleased Territory land (e.g. the nature reserves and some forested areas) and leased land managed in rural properties.

The ACT’s commitment to protecting endangered woodlands across the Territory was recognised by the World Wildlife Fund for Nature’s Protected Area Report Card for 2006, which awarded the ACT a AAA rating for comprehensiveness, extent and management standard.

Since 2004 the ACT Government and the Australian National University (ANU) have collaborated on a major research project designed to develop innovative enhancement and management of threatened temperate woodlands for improved biodiversity conservation. The project aims to investigate experimental management including manipulation of habitat structure, introduction of specific fire regimes, understanding the effects of kangaroo grazing and control of exotic predators, in particular, foxes, cats and domestic dogs.

Community groups with a concern for biodiversity conservation also enthusiastically support the research project, as it is expected to become a significant source of information that will guide woodland management on both public and private land.

History of the Sanctuary proposal

The potential for Mulligans Flat Nature Reserve to include a fox and cat free sanctuary initially arose from the research partnership, because it soon became apparent that many species have already disappeared from these woodlands. The European Red Fox and cats are considered to be a major cause of the decline of bird and mammal species across Australia and certainly are a key impediment locally to the successful reintroduction of missing species. The reintroduction of animals such as bettongs and bandicoots is regarded as a cornerstone of the ecological restoration project as such species have been described as important ‘keystone species’ or ‘ecosystem engineers’. This refers to their roles in soil aeration and hydrology, dispersal of mycorrhizal fungal spores, incorporation of organic matter and provision of seed germination sites, among other things (eg: Martin 2003).

In recognition of this key factor for biodiversity conservation and woodland recovery the ACT Government announced in 2006 its intention to provide the capital investment to build the fence and establish such a sanctuary at Mulligans Flat with the expectation of reintroducing to the ACT fauna that have become locally extinct.

A joint ANU-ACT Government fact-finding team visited the ground-breaking Arid Recovery Project at Roxby Downs in South Australia. This project, and the predator-proof fence design used there, is a model for the Gungahlin (Mulligans Flat) Sanctuary. Construction of the predator-proof fence at Mulligans Flat began in 2008.

The sanctuary project also draws upon the vision and experience of the Karori sanctuary project on the outskirts of Wellington, New Zealand.

The long-term vision for the reserves includes creation of an “outdoor laboratory” that will help engage and inform the community about conservation issues in the woodlands of Australia. At the same time, it is hoped that the project will act as a catalyst for improved management of box-gum woodlands and lead to an expansion of predator-free woodland reserves in the ACT and beyond.

The ACT Government reinforced its commitment to the Sanctuary proposal following a roundtable meeting on 24 January 2008 at which the Chief Minister reiterated his Government’s commitment to ‘evidence based’ conservation management in the ACT.

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