When Australian tech investor Mike Gregg became wealthy through his business ventures, he faced a choice common among many successful entrepreneurs about how to use his fortune. Instead of purchasing luxury assets or launching another commercial project, Gregg and his wife Sue invested around $10 million of their own money to buy 17,300 acres of forested land in New South Wales. Their goal was not development or profit. The couple wanted to permanently protect one of Australia’s most important natural landscapes and create a safe refuge for native wildlife including koalas, kangaroos, quolls, gliders and dozens of other species facing growing environmental threats.
The billionaire behind the 17,300-acre wildlife sanctuary
Mike Gregg is an Australian technology investor best known for being an early investor in WiseTech Global, one of Australia’s most successful software companies. After achieving financial success, Gregg and his wife Sue began focusing on environmental conservation. Rather than directing their wealth towards luxury purchases, they decided to support projects that could leave a lasting positive impact on the natural world.The couple has become increasingly involved in land protection and habitat restoration efforts across Australia. The project involved the purchase of six adjoining properties covering around 7,000 hectares, or approximately 17,300 acres, near Port Macquarie in New South Wales. The land sits within Australia’s Great Dividing Range, a vast mountain system that supports some of the country’s most important ecosystems.The acquisition was funded entirely by Mike and Sue Gregg and represented one of the largest privately funded conservation land purchases in the region. The newly protected landscape contains a mix of forests, rainforest gullies, rivers, wildlife corridors and woodland habitats.These ecosystems support a wide variety of native species while providing critical connections between fragmented habitats. Conservationists have long warned that habitat loss remains one of the biggest threats facing Australian wildlife. As forests are cleared or divided by development, many species struggle to find food, shelter and breeding grounds.By preserving a large continuous area of land, the project helps maintain habitat connectivity for wildlife populations.
A sanctuary for Australia’s native animals
One of the main goals of the project is to provide long-term protection for native species.Animals known to inhabit the area include:
- Koalas
- Kangaroos
- Spotted-tailed quolls
- Greater gliders
- Wallabies
- Glossy black cockatoos
- Frogs
- Turtles
Many of these species have experienced population declines due to habitat destruction, invasive predators and climate-related challenges. The sanctuary will allow wildlife to move through a protected landscape with reduced human disturbance.
Land once threatened by logging
Parts of the property had previously been affected by logging operations. Reports indicate that logging activity was still taking place on sections of the land shortly before the purchase was finalised. The acquisition effectively halted future commercial exploitation of the area and shifted its focus towards ecological restoration and conservation. Environmental groups have described the move as a major win for wildlife protection.
The role of the Great Southern Land Conservancy
The conservation effort is being managed through the Great Southern Land Conservancy, an organisation established by Mike and Sue Gregg. The conservancy was created to identify and protect environmentally significant land across Australia. Its mission includes preserving biodiversity, restoring damaged habitats and ensuring vulnerable ecosystems remain protected for future generations. The 17,300-acre sanctuary is one of the organisation’s first major projects.Australia has one of the highest mammal extinction rates in the world. Over the past two centuries, numerous native species have disappeared as a result of habitat loss, introduced predators and environmental change.Recent bushfires, droughts and climate-related events have added further pressure on wildlife populations.Conservationists argue that large-scale habitat protection projects are increasingly important because they provide species with the space and resources needed to recover.The Gregg family’s purchase contributes to a growing movement that uses private funding to support conservation alongside government efforts.
A different kind of billionaire legacy
The land could have been developed, logged or converted into a commercial venture. Instead, it is being preserved for nature. Gregg once remarked that if people are fortunate enough to build significant wealth, they should think carefully about how they use it. For him and his wife, protecting wildlife and restoring habitat was a more meaningful investment than luxury purchases.As koalas move through eucalyptus forests, quolls hunt across the landscape and gliders navigate the tree canopy, the impact of that decision may continue to benefit Australian wildlife for decades to come.
