Protecting threatened species in safe havens

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Protecting threatened species in safe havens

Project start date: 01/07/2022
Project end date: 31/03/2026
NESP funding: $51,000 (GST-exclusive)

Safe havens are an important conservation tool for protecting threatened species from invasive predators and other pests. They include fenced areas, islands where predators have been removed, fenced peninsulas, private conservation reserves, sanctuaries and some national parks.

This project assessed how well Australia’s current safe-haven network protects threatened non-mammalian fauna, including birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and invertebrates. It also identified where future safe havens could provide the greatest conservation benefit under climate change.

The research found that Australia’s current mainland fenced safe-haven network offers limited protection for threatened non-mammal species. Many existing safe havens were originally designed to protect mammals from cats and foxes but threatened non-mammal species face a wider range of threats, including rats, pigs, trout, weeds, pathogens and problematic native species.

The project used species distribution modelling and spatial prioritisation to identify high-value areas for future safe havens. These priority areas can help guide investment in new or adapted safe havens that are designed around the threats faced by different species.

Read the scientific article

DCCEEW Ecologist Matt Dobson and NPWS Coffs Coast Area Manager Andrew Pitzen assessing an area of the Ngambaa fence.

Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water ecologist Matt Dobson and New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service Coffs Coast Area Manager Andrew Pitzen assessing an area of the Ngambaa Nature Reserve fence. Photo: Remy Brand.

The project found that Australia’s current mainland fenced safe-haven network provides limited protection for threatened non-mammal species.

Key findings include:

74 mainland fenced safe havens were identified across Australia.
Of these, 54 were functional, 14 were proposed or under construction, and six were non-functional.
Only two of the 123 target species were known to occur within current fenced safe havens.
A further six species occurred in small, purpose-built fenced havens.
None of the 45 species modelled had suitable future habitat overlapping with current functional fenced safe havens.
Seventeen modelled species had suitable future habitat within 10 km of a current functional fenced safe haven.
Only nine of those species were threatened by large terrestrial pests that could potentially be excluded by current mainland fencing designs.

These findings show that improving protection for threatened non-mammal species will require careful planning of where safe havens are located, which species they target, and what threats they are designed to manage.

The project identified 74 mainland fenced safe havens across Australia, including functional, non-functional, partially fenced and proposed sites. Image: Gould et al. 2026 / Biological Conservation.

Interactive map showing priority areas for inclusion in Australia’s safe haven network under different pest/threat scenarios. Priority areas are based on the study’s spatial modelling outputs and should be interpreted as indicative broad priority locations rather than exact site boundaries. Fenced safe haven location markers show haven status as functional, partially fenced, or proposed/in construction.

Aerial view of the Ngambaa fence. Photo: Daniel Parsons.
DCCEEW Ecologist Matt Dobson and NPWS Coffs Coast Area Manager Andrew Pitzen assessing an area of the Ngambaa fence. Photo: Remy Brand.
Places like Kangaroo Island can also function as safe havens. Photo: Greg/Adobe Stock.
Determining the biological attributes (e.g. burrowing, home range, flight capabilities etc) is an important step to determine species best suited for protection in safe havens. Photo: Avril/Adobe Stock.