Launch of the Conservation Covenanting Project

VCA
THE RESULTS TO DATE
April, 1999

Twenty one (2 1) VCA's are currently in place, having both been signed by the landowners and officially sealed by Council. The VCA program which officially commenced in June 1996 is thus well ahead of schedule. the goal at that time being to achieve five agreements every twelve months.

Fourteen (14) VCA's are of the "Higher" form and therefore involve rezoning of the agreed conservation area to the Conservation zone. ("General" VCA's do not involve rezoning). The signatories of Higher VCA's receive payments of cash management assistance (CMA) over the first two years additional to the annual amounts which all participating land owners receive. Details are as follows:..

	total property area ha	area covered by VCCA ha	VCA type	Additional (CMA pa for 1st 2 years)	Annual CMA (current $)
	2.02 7.33	2.02 7.33	H	1000	1500
	8.17	8.17	H	1000	1225
	8.16	5.36	H	1000	301
	7.14	5.30	H	1000	476
	2.00	1.09	H	250	239
	7.80	5.70	H	1000	395
	1.00	1.00	H	1000	359
	1.61	1.08	H	1000	439
	1.00	0.5	G	N/A	170
	1.00	0.5	G	N/A	170
	1.00	1.00	G	N/A	384
	2.40	190	G	N/A	381
	25.36	18.34	H	1000	812
	1.22	1.22	H	500	355
	1.29	0.93	H	500	299
	1.06	0.55	G	N/A	193
	7.96	5.26	H	1000	(200?)
	136.7	31.54	G	N/A	N/A
	5.55	3.98	H	1000	470
	16.8	11.15	H	1000	700
	4.92	3.45	G	N/A	364
Prince Charles Hosp. *Qld Dept of Health	35.3	3.00	G	N/A	N/A
TOTAL		119.87		12250	9262

*As this landowner is a charitable institution, it is exempt from paying rates. It is therefore ineligible to receive annual amounts of cash management assistance.

**As this landowner is the State government, it is also exempt from paying rates and ineligible to receive annual amounts of cash management assistance.

At present therefore, the annual cost of having these lands protected mill be $21 512 in this current financial year. The "additional" CMA for each Higher VCA will drop out after its second year in the program and the annual cost thenceforth will be $9262. This demonstrates the excellent cost effectiveness of the program, especially considering that approximately two-thirds of these lands will be protected in perpetuity through Conservation zonings. The cost of protecting these lands through acquisition has been estimated at $4.8 million (i.e. mean purchase price of $40 000 per ha x120 ha) not including costs of valuations, surveys, conveyancing and stamp duty. Further, ongoing management costs are incurred whenever land is acquired by Council.

Of course, as further land owners join the program the costs will rise but only in proportion to the benefits accruing to Council. Costs largely depend upon the number of agreements signed rather than the area of land secured. This is because the VCA policy sets maxima for the amounts of annual and additional CMA ($1 500 and $1 000 respectively). Thus, less costs would be incurred if the program focussed on achieving a smaller number of VCA's over larger areas of land than if the converse strategy was adopted.

Leo Ryan
Program Officer, Conservation Partnerships
NATURAL ENVIRONMENT
BRISBANE CITY COUNCIL