The Great Eastern Ranges (GER) is working to protect, connect and restore habitats and ecosystems across a vast 3,600km swathe of eastern Australia. An area we call the GER corridor.
As well as being home to over 80% of Australia’s population, the GER corridor is a biodiversity hotspot (an area containing a high number of species found nowhere else on earth that are under severe threat), supporting 60% of our threatened animals and 70% of our plants.
Dominating the geographic centre is the Great Divide – the world’s third longest mountain range – which stretches from the remote Cape York Peninsula in the north to the majestic Grampians in Victoria, separating the coast from the arid interior. This complex series of hills, plateaus and mountains, contain the watersheds and headwaters for the major river catchments of eastern Australia, providing clean water for over two-thirds of our population whilst dense forests and woodlands soak up vast amounts of carbon from our atmosphere.
A rich tapestry of protected areas, forests, and remnant habitat dotted across the region serve as vital ‘flyways’ for a diversity of our native winged species moving across Tasmania and the mainland, including birds, butterflies and flying foxes. Like the Satin Flycatcher, some traverse vast distances across the Bass Straits to the Australian mainland and on into Papua New Guinea.
The beauty and diversity of eastern Australia’s natural areas, rich cultural history, and abundant outdoor recreation opportunities attract millions of local and international visitors every year, contributing billions to our economy.
In the future, these green corridors will provide vital refuges for wildlife, enabling them to move and adapt in response to a changing climate whilst providing a natural solution to the climate and biodiversity crisis.
