Marna Banggara, formerly known as the Great Southern Ark, is an ambitious project that aims to restore southern Yorke Peninsula's spectacular landscape.
A landscape-scale project that evolved from ten years of Community Action Planning, it will investigate whether the reintroduction of targeted native species can restore ecosystem function and provide flow-on benefits to agriculture, local business and the community.
Unique location
Southern Yorke Peninsula retains some of the few remaining large areas of high-quality, native vegetation, including Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park, Warrenben Conservation Park and tracts of private land.
Dubbed the ‘foot’ of the peninsula, it is surrounded by sea on three sides with uninterrupted farmland to the north, effectively making it a ‘mainland island’.
This distinctive geography provides an ideal location to reintroduce native species and reinstate the area’s ecological function.
The project aims to:
- Develop a safe haven for some of Australia’s most threatened species
- Improve the health of the Yorke Peninsula’s distinctive bushland
- Support agricultural productivity
- Strengthen the local economy
Plans for the future
During the next 20 years, the project aims to reintroduce four key native species that have become locally extinct on Yorke Peninsula:
- Brush-tailed Bettongs
- Southern Brown Bandicoot
- Red-tailed Phascogale
- Western Quoll
Who’s involved?
Local landholders, farmers, traditional owners, small businesses, NGOs and government are collaborating to ensure the land continues to thrive for years to come.
Marna Banggara is jointly funded by the Australian Government Natural Heritage Trust and Northern and Yorke Landscape Board, a member of the Commonwealth Regional Delivery Partners panel. Other active partners include the South Australian Department for Environment and Water, WWF-Australia and Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife, Narungga Nation Aboriginal Corporation, Zoos SA, Regional Development Australia, South Australian Tourism Commission, FAUNA Research Alliance, BirdLife Australia, Nature Conservation Society of SA, Primary Producers SA, Primary Industries and Regions SA, Conservation Volunteers Australia, Legatus Group, Yorke Peninsula Council, Yorke Peninsula Tourism and the Scientific Expedition Group.