Launch of the Conservation Covenanting Project

VOLUNTARY CONSERVATION AGREEMENT (VCA) FACT SHEET

[1] What are VCA partnerships?
Brisbane's 25,000 hectares of bushland are of special environmental value to our city but are at risk as a result of ongoing development pressure on privately owned lands. Community support and co-operation are essential to protect this resource.

Council has responded to community concerns about our bushland in a number of ways, including Vegetation Protection Ordinances, amendments to the Town Plan and purchases through the Bushland Acquisition program. However these programs alone cannot sufficiently safeguard the bushland areas. The VCA program is the next step, providing an important way for the Council to work in partnership with landowners to protect and enhance significant sites.

A VCA is a legally binding contract containing clauses tailor made for each property and landowner. A VCA is absolutely voluntary, is entirely flexible according to the attributes of the property and the needs of the landowner, and is entered into with a spirit of partnership between the Council and the landowner.

[2] How do VCA's work?
Council identifies key sites which would be suitable for VCA's, in accordance, with selection guidelines and then contacts landowners to discuss the program. Should an owner wish to proceed further, an agreement may be negotiated.

Key points of a VCA agreement are..

• ownership of course remains with the landowner;
• no other person or group will gain any rights to enter the property;
• the agreement may relate to only a part of the property.'
• the wording of the agreement is totally negotiable; and in the nature of "partnership", both parties will obtain benefits.

[3] What are the benefits?
The landowner obtains from Council a yearly payment of cash management assistance (a cash grant). The maximum annual sum payable at present is $1,500. Additionally, landowners may qualify for extra financial assistance of up to $2000 to help with bushland management in the initial stages of the agreement. Landowners are also able, at any time, to request free technical advice from Council's land management professionals.

From time to time Council is also able to offer landowners free labour to assist with management activities.

In return, the landowner promises that the environmental significance of the relevant part of the property is maintained. In practical terms this could mean that grazing animals are excluded from regenerating areas, environmental weeds are managed and supplementary planting of locally native species is undertaken. Again, these activities are negotiable. In this way, the landowner, Council and the community all benefit by achieving greater security of protection for the property and enhancing the environmental values of Brisbane as a whole.