National Forum

Buying back the bush ... for ever: community involvement in acquisition and management
Abstract for Doug Humann
Australian Bush Heritage Fund
Conservation Management Networks and Community-based Ownership/Stewardship
8:45-9:00am, Thursday, 22 March 2001

The Australian Bush Heritage Fund has a unique national program to buy back the bush. Relying largely on donations from the public 13 reserves have been acquired by Bush Heritage (by purchase, gift and bequest) in four states. These reserves have been selected from hundreds of properties considered by Bush Heritage over its 10 years' operation. The properties have been brought to Bush Heritage's attention through community contacts. They have been selected for their high conservation values with the support of the community as part of Bush Heritage's national acquisition strategy.

Critical to Bush Heritage's decision concerning any proposed acquisition is an assessment of the organisation's capacity to guarantee management - including of existing reserves - in perpetuity. Naturally the costs of long-term management (as with costs of acquisition) vary considerably. Costs depend upon, amongst other things, the location, size and quality of any new property under consideration, as well as the availability and cost of human resources required to undertake management actions. These costs must be calculated and predicted. Bush Heritage maintains an "endowment" fund to ensure assets are held to manage its reserves in perpetuity in the event of a crisis.

Bush Heritage has encouraged a community of interest around its reserves that contributes to the reserves' management and monitoring. Several reserves have had strongly unified groups, and in the case of Kojonup Reserve (WA) a land management committee. The community groups and individuals associated with reserves have been critical to their management and a range of formal and informal contacts have arisen and will be maintained.

Bush Heritage has moved to acquire progressively larger and more complex properties, characterised by the recent acquisition of the remote Carnarvon Station in Central Queensland. Aware of the need to match excellent conservation outcomes in perpetuity with cost-efficient stewardship, Bush Heritage is seeking to establish much broader links throughout the community and to draw on a range of skills, experiences and interests that match its needs. Individuals, community networks, groups and institutions can, and do, support Bush Heritage's reserve management actions. A Conservation Partners Program is being implemented to this end.

By Bush Heritage working in the landscape beyond its boundaries and in concert with others, including in conservation management networks, its work can expand to achieve important regional conservation outcomes.