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Mikes Hill Reserve

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Land for Sale - 155 hectares

Mikes Hill Reserve, Moss Beds Road, Lachlan

Offers around $220,000 invited

Summary

The Mikes Hill Reserve is 155 ha of forest and cleared land in the Derwent Valley, 5 kms west of New Norfolk and a 45 minute drive from the Hobart CBD. The reserve protects populations of two vulnerable forest communities and has expansive views of the Derwent Valley and surrounding forested ridges. It also offers several good house sites and could support a range of recreational and small-scale agricultural or pastoral pursuits.

Conservation Values

The Mikes Hill Reserve has significant conservation values, including:

• vulnerable silver peppermint forest;
• vulnerable Tasmanian blue gum forest; and
• habitat for several threatened fauna species, including the endangered wedge-tailed eagle (a pair of eagles are commonly seen soaring above the property).

The reserve has not been subject to any comprehensive flora and fauna surveys. It contains potential habitat for at least one threatened flora species recorded in the vacinity and future surveys conducted at the right time of year may identify additional threatened species on the reserve.

Covenant Conditions

A draft Conservation Covenant is being prepared for the reserve and will be registered on the title of the land, providing permanent protection for the conservation values. The covenant restricts any activities that may degrade the conservation values, but allows for construction of boundary fences, maintenance of existing fences and vehicular tracks, and the establishment of walking tracks. A management plan will be developed with the new owners, ensuring that they are able to manage the threats to conservation values into the future. The Tasmanian Land Conservancy is also able to offer ongoing advice and assistance to the new owners in managing the conservation values of the land.

Infrastructure and future use of the property

Legal access to the property from Moss Beds Road is provided by a Right of Way through an adjoining property. The reserve contains or is serviced by the following infrastructure.

• There is a local shop in the centre of Lachlan, about 6 kms from the property boundary. Comprehensive services and amenities are available in New Norfolk, which is less than 10 minutes drive from the property.
• There is a formed, unsealed vehicular track running from Moss Beds Road to a cleared area at the eastern end of the property.
• The property is fenced on parts of the western and northern boundaries.

A cleared area at the eastern end of the property which offers good house sites and expansive views will be excluded from the covenant to allow for future use and development. The exact area to be excluded from the covenant has not been decided and there may be potential for future owners to have input to this decision before the covenant is finalised.

Background

The property was purchased by the Tasmanian Land Conservancy (TLC) through a Revolving Fund, which is used to buy land with significant conservation values to protect forever through the use of a conservation covenant. Funding for the purchase of this land was provided by the Australian Government through the Forest Conservation Fund Program.
Money raised from the sale of Revolving Fund properties is directed into the purchase of other Revolving Fund properties in Tasmania, extending the value from every dollar within the Fund.