How we work
Trust for Nature has developed four key mechanisms to achieve real conservation gains.
Conservation covenants - providing permanent protection
Trust for Nature developed its Conservation Covenant Program so landowners could permanently protect native plants and wildlife on their properties. Conservation covenants remain one of the most effective ways to protect native plants and wildlife on private land. The covenant remains attached to the title of a property, even if it is sold.
Conservation covenants are backed by State legislation through the Victorian Conservation Trust Act 1972.
We currently have more than 1,115 conservation covenants in effect, which protect 47,000 hectares.
Click here for further information about conservation covenants.
Stewardship - the support program
Through the Stewardship Program, Trust for Nature supports landowners who have a conservation covenant on their properties. We offer conservation management advice and property maintenance tips to each landowner, helping covenantors maintain and improve the health of native plants and wildlife on their property.
We also provide a wide range of services on top of the site-specific management plan. These include technical advice, information about land-management incentives available to landowners, and practical assistance with land management and habitat/species monitoring.
Want to learn more about why your property is so important for conservation? Click here to find out more about covenant support and the Stewardship Program.
Revolving Fund - a cycle of success
The objective of Trust for Nature's Revolving Fund is to use the real estate market to achieve conservation outcomes. Funds provided through bequests, donations and the Australian Government's Caring for our Country program are used to purchase environmentally significant land, which we then on-sell with a conservation covenant attached.
The Revolving Fund is a can target the protection of native vegetation in areas where other methods are less effective, and introduce new participants to conservation through land protection.
All money generated through the sale of the properties is wholly returned to the Fund to replenish its reserves and enable future purchases. In this way the fund revolves in perpetuity.
We have sold 47 properties through the Revolving Fund so far, protecting 5,735 hectares of Victorian bushland.
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How the Revolving Fund works
We:
• identify and purchase properties of high nature-conservation value
• undertake conservation or restoration works on the property when necessary
• sell the property to conservation-minded buyers with a condition to enter into a conservation covenant on the land
• register a conservation covenant on the title of the property
• assist new owners with accessing expert advice and support
• return sale proceeds to replenish the Revolving Fund.
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Click here to check out the current properties for sale, or here for more information about the Revolving Fund.
Land Acquisition - buying back the bush
To protect native plants and wildlife, we buy and maintain properties with high conservation value.
This enables both the regeneration of damaged habitats and their future protection. We manage our properties using best private land conservation practices to help regenerate native vegetation and protect threatened species. Without the support of volunteers and ‘Friends Groups’, a lot of this conservation work would not be possible.
We also use some of these properties to demonstrate private land conservation practices.
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Neds Corner Station 2003 |
Neds Corner Station 2011 |
One of the better known Trust for Nature-owned properties is Neds Corner Station (see photos above), a 30,000 hectare former sheep station on the Murray River just west of Mildura, and the largest private conservation property in Victoria. Trust for Nature also purchased Churchill Island near Phillip Island in West Gippsland before gifting it back to Victoria for inclusion in the State's reserve system.
Eco-markets
Trust for Nature arranges agreements between proponents who have a native vegetation offset requirement and landowners who want to protect the native vegetation on their properties.
Through native vegetation offset agreements, a landowner receives funding from a proponent to permanently protect and improve the quality of native vegetation on their land. Trust for Nature facilitates this payment as well as the documentation required to meet the planning approval.
We develop an offset agreement and a covenant for the landowner that creates a legal obligation to improve native vegetation over a 10 year period and protect it forever.
For more on native vegetation offsets, click here.