National Forum

The NSW Nature Conservation Trust - a new partnership for private land conservation in NSW
Abstract for Kevin Roberts
Manager Conservation Planning Unit
NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service
The Role and Emergence of Non-Government Trusts
1:45-2:00pm, Wednesday, 21 March 2001

The Nature Conservation Trust Bill 2000 was tabled in Parliament on 29 November 2000. The Bill is currently before Parliament and can be downloaded from the NSW Parliament website at: www.parliament.nsw.gov.au.

The impetus for a trust has come from individual landholders, non-government and government organizations. They have expressed strong support for the establishment of a conservation body at arms-length from government in order to promote conservation initiatives. A conservation trust was promoted at the NSW Salinity Summit and is an action in the NSW Salinity Strategy and the draft NSW Native Vegetation Conservation Strategy.

A model Bill was prepared on behalf of a consortium comprising Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF), the NSW Farmers' Association, the Nature Conservation Council (NCC) and Greening Australia and presented to Government. This group has subsequently worked with the NSW Government to develop the Nature Conservation Trust Bill now tabled in Parliament.

The Trust's main aim will be to promote and encourage conservation on private land in NSW. The first major program will be to establish and administer a "revolving fund". The NSW Government is providing one million dollars from its native vegetation management fund to provide the Trust with the ability to operate the revolving fund. Subject to final agreement, one million dollars from the Commonwealth's Natural Heritage Trust will match this investment.

The Trust will have the power to enter into agreements with landholders. This includes voluntary conservation agreements under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974, and property agreements under the Native Vegetation Conservation Act 1997. The Trust will also be able to negotiate conservation trust agreements with landholders.

The Trust will be largely independent of government. A Board of ten people with specified expertise or experience will run it. Two members will be chosen from the National Parks and Wildlife Service and the Department of Land and Water Conservation. The Trust will aim to encourage stronger private sector investment in conservation in NSW.

Working within overall government natural resource management and conservation objectives, the Trust will exercise its functions in light of broad statewide conservation criteria to be established by regulation.

The Trust will be self-funding and will be responsible for raising funds from the private sector to support its activities. It is intended that the Trust will be given the status of a charity and will also be able to source contestable State or Commonwealth program funding.

The Trust will be required to develop a business plan every five years. The business plan will provide detailed strategies relating to purchasing, investment and fundraising activities, and the allocation of funds for administrative and other purposes.