The world's largest not-for-profit environmental organisation plans to purchase more land in Australia after spending $55million on two cattle stations in an effort to increase conservation.
Two adjoining stations – Juanbung and Boyong – spanning 33,765 hectares in south-eastern Australia's Murray-Darling basin were snapped up by The Nature Conservancy, a group based in the United States.
The group was determined to protect the region, more commonly known as The Great Cumbung Swamp.
The world's largest not-for-profit environmental organisation plans to purchase more land in Australia after spending $55million on two cattle stations in an effort to increase conservation. Pictured: The receding waters of Lake Pamamaroo in the Murray-Darling basin
The group was determined to protect the region, more commonly known as The Great Cumbung Swamp. Pictured: A dead sheep on a water canal in the basin
The scarce toxic waters are streaming through the bathrooms and kitchen sinks of residents, described as being as brown as black tea (pictured)
They were able to purchase both cattle stations, as well as their water rights, for $55million using funds donated from multiple smaller foundations and debt finance provided by ANZ.
The group also plans to buy more land in Australia.
The deal is the most valuable private conservation-focused purchase in Australia's history and will aim to protect almost the entire extent of the Great Cumbung Swamp.
Rich Gilmore (pictured) is the director of The Nature Conservancy in Australia
The Murray-Darlin Basin, which is often referred to as 'the food bowl of Australia', supports a variety of wildlife and irrigated agriculture.
The Nature Conservancy claim the 'growing of food and fibre in the Basin is essential to our ongoing prosperity as a nation', and have vowed to boost jobs in the region since the purchase.
'Tiverton Agriculture will manage the property for the dual objectives of conservation and sustainable agriculture,' a spokesman for the organisation said.
'Other land use options will also be explored such as carbon, biodiversity offsets and stewardship, and ecotourism.'
The Murray-Darling basin (pictured), which is often referred to as 'the food bowl of
