Cradle Coast NRM

Cradle Coast NRM This page is about the Cradle Coast Authority's Natural Resource Management work. Cradle Coast Authority is one of 56 Regional NRM Bodies in Australia.

Protecting and enhancing our region's natural resources and supporting sustainable agriculture. Under the Tasmanian NRM Framework and Act 2002, the State Government facilitated the establishment of Regional NRM Committees (Bodies) for each of the three regions of the State. In the Cradle Coast region the Regional Committee is part of Cradle Coast Authority. The Committee is responsible for identif

ying regional NRM priorities, preparing strategies and promoting NRM principles. Home to over 100,000 people living across an area of 22,250 square kilometres, the Cradle Coast region is renowned for its unique and diverse environment, pristine wilderness, rugged mountains, extensive forests, untouched coastlines, old mining towns and productive agricultural landscapes (not to mention the cleanest air in the world). The region contains nationally and globally significant natural and cultural heritage areas including the iconic Cradle Mountain, Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, the Arthur Pieman Conservation Area, the Tarkine, Narawntapu National Park and Lavinia Nature Reserve. The region has a rich diversity of landscapes of which over 50% is public land in reserves.

Threatened Species Bake Off: Eucrenonaspides oinothekeTiny, mysterious and incredibly rare, Eucrenonaspides oinotheke is...
12/09/2026

Threatened Species Bake Off: Eucrenonaspides oinotheke

Tiny, mysterious and incredibly rare, Eucrenonaspides oinotheke is a small subterranean crustacean first discovered in a wine cellar in Devonport in 1974, after water from a nearby natural spring began seeping in.

The species is thought to occur only in underground springs around Devonport, but it hasn’t been sighted since 1975, and its current status remains unknown.

Surveys undertaken earlier this year failed to find the elusive crustacean, although suitable spring habitat is still present. Further survey work is needed to better understand whether this unique Tasmanian species is still out there.

Protecting these underground spring habitats, and continuing the search, is important to ensuring species like Eucrenonaspides oinotheke aren’t lost before we have the chance to better understand them. 💧

And for the Threatened Species Bake Off, Joseph has brought this mysterious little crustacean back out of the cellar and onto the cake table! 🎂

Cradle Coast NRM will be entering both the Open Award and Organisation Award.
Threatened Species Commissioner

Want to build healthier soils, more resilient pastures and greater confidence in making decisions about soil and pasture...
11/09/2026

Want to build healthier soils, more resilient pastures and greater confidence in making decisions about soil and pasture management?

Soil Sessions is a 10-month program and discussion group for dairy farmers in North West Tasmania, delivered by Soils for Life in partnership with Cradle Coast NRM.

Starting in October, the program brings farmers together with soil and plant specialists and other local farmers to explore practical approaches to soil health, pasture management and farm resilience.

The program includes:
🌱 Six on-farm sessions and two online sessions
🌱 Learning alongside other North West Tasmanian dairy farmers
🌱 Guest specialists including international plant and soil educator Joel Williams, agroecologists David Hardwick and Robin Tait, with more speakers to be announced
🌱 Subsidised soil and pasture testing and consultant support, worth up to approximately $2,000 per farm
🌱 Practical, farm-specific discussion around soil health, grazing, pasture diversity, pests, disease and resilience.

The first online session is 8 October, followed by the first on-farm session with Joel Williams on 15 October.

Only 10 farm businesses will be selected, with up to two participants per farm business.

Registrations close 30 September 2026. A cash co-contribution of $150 per business applies.

👉 North West Tasmanian dairy farmers: register your here https://bit.ly/4wKxqoM

🪱 Threatened Species Bake Off: Blind Velvet WormThe Blind Velvet Worm (Tasmanipatus anophthalmus) is one of Tasmania’s m...
11/09/2026

🪱 Threatened Species Bake Off: Blind Velvet Worm

The Blind Velvet Worm (Tasmanipatus anophthalmus) is one of Tasmania’s most unusual and fascinating creatures.
Found only in an isolated area of north-east Tasmania, this rare velvet worm has a soft, velvety body, long antennae and 15 pairs of legs.

And, as its name suggests, it has no eyes! 👀❌
Velvet worms are an ancient and evolutionarily distinct group of animals, making these little creatures a fascinating part of Tasmania’s natural heritage.

For this year’s Threatened Species Bake Off, Reanna has brought the Blind Velvet Worm to life in cake form, entering the Open Category and the Organsition Category on behalf of Cradle Coast NRM. 🪱🎂

Good luck, Reanna! 🤞
Threatened Species Commissioner

Yesterday NRM Regional Manager Bonnie Bonneville presented at the 2026 Tasmanian Where the Waters Meet Conference and Ex...
11/09/2026

Yesterday NRM Regional Manager Bonnie Bonneville presented at the 2026 Tasmanian Where the Waters Meet Conference and Exhibition, themed Everyone’s Water. Everyone’s Responsibility.

Bonnie presented on Scaling Nature-Based Solutions for Flood Resilience and Recovery, exploring Cradle Coast NRM’s response to the 2016 floods. She provided an analysis of the work undertaken at different sites to prevent further erosion, including the construction of timber revetments and tree planting to stabilise the soil.

The opportunity to present, exchange knowledge and discuss these important issues with others in the sector was incredibly valuable and greatly appreciated.

🌿 We’re hiring: Waterways & Coastlines Program ManagerHelp shape the future of waterways, wetlands and coasts across nor...
10/09/2026

🌿 We’re hiring: Waterways & Coastlines Program Manager

Help shape the future of waterways, wetlands and coasts across north-west Tasmania.

Cradle Coast NRM is looking for an experienced and collaborative Waterways & Coastlines Program Manager to lead a diverse portfolio of projects. You’ll lead a small project team, build strong partnerships with stakeholders, and turn science and strategy into practical environmental outcomes.

We’re looking for someone with:
🌱 Environmental/NRM knowledge and experience
🤝 Strong stakeholder engagement and partnership skills
📋 Project, financial and contract management experience
👥 Experience leading and supporting teams
💬 Excellent communication skills
📍 Full-time | Fixed 24-month contract (negotiable)
📅 Applications close 5 PM, Sunday 27 September 2026

👉 View the full position description and apply:
https://cradlecoast.com/job/waterways-coastlines-manager/

Applications should include a brief cover letter and current CV, submitted to [email protected].
Questions? Contact Bonnie Bonneville on [email protected] or 03 6433 8400

🐦 Threatened Species Bake Off: King Island Scrubtit & Brown ThornbillFound nowhere else on Earth, the King Island Scrubt...
10/09/2026

🐦 Threatened Species Bake Off: King Island Scrubtit & Brown Thornbill

Found nowhere else on Earth, the King Island Scrubtit and King Island Brown Thornbill are two of Tasmania’s most critically endangered birds.
With only tiny populations remaining, these unique birds face a range of threats, including feral cats, which are a major predator of both species.

For this year’s Threatened Species Bake Off, Petra celebrated these special King Island birds with a Dutch-inspired cake! 🎂

Keep an eye out for more of our threatened species creations over the coming weeks.

Cradle Coast NRM will be entering both the Open Award and Organisation Award.
Threatened Species Commissioner

10/09/2026

The mighty power of worms on farms!

The Black-headed earthworm (Aporrectodea longa) plays an important role in our soils used for intensive grazing, helping break down organic matter and livestock dung, cycle nutrients and improve soil health.

The Black-headed earthworm is an anecic or deep digging earthworm well suited to a pasture-based livestock system and will tunnel down up to 2 metres in suitable soil types. They have dark, gun metal grey heads and very long, flat spatula like tails.

This species is believed to have been introduced to Northwest Tasmania by the Van Diemens Land (VDL) company throughout the latter half of the 19th Century as they developed much of the 250,000 acres of land granted to them under Royal charter in 1826 into much of the farmland we see utilised in the Cradle Coast region today.

The Black headed earthworm is reasonably well distributed across historic VDL holdings; with genetic barcoding from samples taken from Wivenhoe, Ridgley, Highclere, Cape Grim and Marrawah confirming genetic identity. It is likely they arrived in Tasmania as earthworm egg capsules packed into wooden crates containing seed potatoes and soil.

Worms can play an important role in filtering and cleaning water as it moves through soil.

As worms burrow through the ground, they create channels that allow rainwater to soak into the soil rather than simply running over the surface. While they are soft-bodied annelids, earthworms can ingest tiny rocks or grains of sand into their gizzards and allowing them to grind up organic matter and expose the contents of plant cells to digestive enzymes, permitting them to extract energy from an otherwise inaccessible source.

Once established, earthworms can make a small but powerful contribution to farmland!

This project is supported by the Australian Government through funding from the Natural Heritage Trust under the Climate-Smart Agriculture Program and delivered by Cradle Coast NRM, a member of the Commonwealth Regional Delivery Partners panel.

🐌 Threatened Species Bake Off: Cam River Freshwater SnailTiny but incredibly important, Beddomeia camensis is a freshwat...
09/09/2026

🐌 Threatened Species Bake Off: Cam River Freshwater Snail

Tiny but incredibly important, Beddomeia camensis is a freshwater snail measuring just 2–4 mm long and found only in a handful of small streams near the Cam River in north-west Tasmania.

Agricultural clearing, forestry, mining and impoundment construction can all degrade the streams this little snail calls home. It may also face competition from the introduced New Zealand mud snail (Potamopyrgus antipodarum).

Protecting these small freshwater habitats is vital to ensuring this tiny Tasmanian species doesn’t disappear. 💧🐌

And for the Threatened Species Bake Off, Lewis has given this tiny snail a much bigger platform cake! 🎂

Cradle Coast NRM will be entering both the Open Award and Organisation Award.
Threatened Species Commissioner

🦋 Threatened Species Bake Off: Ptunarra Brown ButterflyThe Ptunarra Brown Butterfly (Oreixenica ptunarra) is a small bro...
08/09/2026

🦋 Threatened Species Bake Off: Ptunarra Brown Butterfly

The Ptunarra Brown Butterfly (Oreixenica ptunarra) is a small brown and orange butterfly found only in Tasmania.

It lives in Poa tussock grasslands, grassy shrublands and woodlands at higher elevations. Its caterpillars feed exclusively on Poa grass, making healthy tussock habitat essential to its survival.

The adult butterfly has a remarkably short flying season of just a few weeks in early autumn. During this time, adults’ mate and females lay their eggs on the tussocks.

Sadly, much of the butterfly’s habitat has been lost through conversion to pasture and plantations. Over-grazing, over-burning and predation by introduced European wasps can also threaten local populations. Great job for pulling these ones off Bonnie!

This little butterfly may be small, but it has a very particular place in Tasmania’s ecosystems. 🦋
Cradle Coast NRM will be entering both the Open Award and Organisation Award.
Threatened Species Commissioner

🐋 Threatened Species Bake Off: Southern Right WhaleThe Southern Right Whale (Eubalaena australis) is one of the largest ...
07/09/2026

🐋 Threatened Species Bake Off: Southern Right Whale

The Southern Right Whale (Eubalaena australis) is one of the largest whales found in the Southern Hemisphere, growing up to 17–18 metres long and weighing as much as 100 tonnes!

These impressive whales are recognisable by their stocky black bodies, broad paddle-shaped flippers and distinctive white callosities on their heads. Each whale has a unique pattern of callosities, allowing individuals to be identified.

Southern Right Whales are migratory, travelling between feeding and breeding grounds throughout the year. They are baleen whales, using long baleen plates to filter tiny organisms from the water.

From one of the ocean’s biggest animals to a very creative cake, Hannah has brought the Southern Right Whale to life for this year’s Threatened Species Bake Off! 🐋🎂

Keep an eye out for more of our creations over the coming weeks.
Cradle Coast NRM will be entering both the Open Award and Organisation Award.
Threatened Species Commissioner

Address

1-3 Spring Street
Burnie, TAS
7320

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 5pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 5pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 5pm
Thursday 8:30am - 5pm
Friday 8:30am - 5pm

Telephone

+61364338400

Website

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