Tasmanian Native Plants & Wildflowers

Consultancy

Biz and Lindsay have been farming their 12,500 acre property Bonneys Plains for 31 years. In 1976 they established the TazWild Plants nursery on their farm, specialising in Tasmanian Native Plants. The company Tasmanian Revegetation Services was established in 1998.

Achievements Committees Farm Tours Presentations

Achievements

Feb 2006 Festival Promotion of TazWild Foods and launch of TazWild Foods product range
Sept 2005 A Touch of Spice launch of TazWild Foods, Garden World Legana. Official opening by Kerry Finch MLA
2002-2006 Tasmanian Project Coordinator Land Water & Wool project for Environment Australia research of riparian management and revegetation on wool growing properties
2003-2005 Co-ordinator Upper Macquarie Rivercare Project
1999-2002 Initiated, planned and implemented Conara Floral Park project. This project was designed to provide nature conservation information to the traveling public and included an interpretation centre, a nature trail with interpretative signs, growing and planting rare roadside plants and rehabilitation of degraded bushland.

Department Infrastructure Energy & Resources Planning Award

Tasmanian 2003 Landcare Award Winner Nature Conservation Category
1999-2002 Managed Midlands Bushweb project for the Northern Midlands Council. This project included the protection of over 6000 hectares, one third of this area protected in perpetuity, protection of 70 km of riverbanks, 120 hectares of rehabilitation and 156 hectares of revegetation and removal of gorse from 1000 hectares. Education kits for farmers and school children were produced, plus a roadside vegetation management manual. Instigated the Bandicoot project this project was designed to protect small marsupials including the endangered eastern barred and brown bandicoots, bettongs and potoroos in the Longford to Cressy District. Final Report for project includes oral history project, natural history and flora pictures and descriptions in published book The Nature of the Midlands.

Winners National Landcare Award Nature Conservation Category, 2002
2001 Initiated project Commercial Uses of Tasmanian Native Plants a project to explore new commercial enterprises based on native plants in harmony with the natural environment for Northern Midlands Council.
1999-2001 Project Managers Isis Rivercare project
1998-2001 Coordinators Upper South Esk Corridors of Green project.
1996 Winners National Landcare Scholarship

Travel scholarship to study management, awareness and production of understorey vegetation.
1994 Winners National Primary Producer Landcare Award
1992 Finalist National Primary Producer Landcare Award
1991 Winners Farming for Agriculturally Sustainable Systems in Tasmania (FASST)

Committees

Combined contribution:

  • Member National Landcare Advisory Committee.
  • Developed APASE (Advancing Productive Agricultural Sustainable Environments) with DPIE, DPI&F & TFGA
  • Rural Tree Decline Working Group
  • Board of Greening Australia (Tas) Vice-president, two years
  • Understorey Network Initiated network, inaugural president
  • Ben Lomond/Buffalo Brook Landcare Group President 3 years, Secretary 3 years.
  • Tasmanian Landcare Association. Vice-president
  • Community Information Network
  • State Landcare Assessment Panel community rep 4 years
  • Rural Womens Network
  • Whole Farm Planning Consultative Group
  • TFGA Native Species Working Group
  • Avoca Tree Growing Group and Avoca Native Seed Bank initiators 1982

Farm Tours

Bonneys Plains has hosted 46 farm tours, and field days and visits from:

  • Farm Planning Groups
  • Landcare Groups
  • Farm Discussion Groups
  • School and Agriculture College Students
  • Forestry Groups (from Indonesia & South East Asia)
  • TFGA
  • National Landcare Conference Delegates
  • Horticulturists
  • Breed Societies
  • Politicians
  • Field Naturalists
  • Land & Water Research & Development Corporation
  • Department of Agriculture & other agency staff
  • Agri-business consultants
  • Interstate Farmers
  • Landcare Officers and Individuals

Presentations

Case Study and other presentations have been made to:

  • Twenty Five (25) Property Management Planning Courses
  • Banking Industry
  • TFGA Commodity Councillors
  • Women in Agriculture Groups
  • School of Agricultural Science classes
  • Nature Conservation Off-Reserve Conference (Brisbane, Qld)
  • National Native Grasses Conference (Clare, SA)
  • Rivers Forum (Canberra, ACT)
  • Victorian Catchment Management Conference (Beechworth, Vic)
  • Numerous local seminars, conferences and meetings.

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