Nature Conservation Covenant Program

How does the program work?

The Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) offers landowners the opportunity to use conservation covenants to protect the nature conservation values of their properties.

The nature conservation covenant is a voluntary, legally binding document that has provisions restricting activities that might threaten the land's conservation values. Every conservation covenant is individually negotiated between the Department and the landowner, and aims to maintain the conservation values of the bushland whilst allowing for flexibility to reflect the landowner's wishes for the land.

What are the benefits?

Apart from the sense of satisfaction provided by protecting an area of natural bushland and its associated wildlife in the long-term, there are a number of other advantages associated with protecting land with a DEC conservation covenant:

• covenants entered into voluntarily (ie. not required as a condition of development on other areas of the property) are at no cost to the landowner;
• up to $500 is made available for the landowner to seek independent legal advice at the time of entering into the covenant;
• tax concessions may be available to landowners entering into perpetual conservation covenants (for more information follow the link to the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts website);
• management guidelines are developed to help guide the future management of the land to meet conservation objectives;
• some funding for fencing or other management identified in the management guidelines, is available on a case-by-case basis;
• ongoing conservation advice is available to landowners to help them in their conservation efforts; and
• rate relief may apply.