National Forum

Incentives for private land conservation - beyond rate relief

Andrew Del Marco
Strategic Planning Team
Shire of Serpentine-Jarrahdale

This presentation provides examples of incentives that are in practice in WA and others that could be used in the future.

BACKGROUND

Serpentine-Jarrahdale is a rural shire nestled between Perth City and the Murray River catchment. We have large areas of jarrah-marri forested hills, and an equally large area of flat, wet and heavily cleared coastal plain. The heavily cleared coastal plain is under intense and varied development pressure. The 7% of bush left in this area is very important.

The Shire includes large townsites planned for the future to house 60,000 people. The Shire covers some 900 square kilometres, a population of 10,500 and a budget of $7 million.

For the purposes of this presentation and discussing incentives I have grouped landowners of semi-rural and rural land into one of three groups:

Group A: Landowners valuing the bush. These landowners want to keep it for its intrinsic value - they value it as it is. They like it. They usually know how to manage it, and manage it well. They would like financial incentives.

Group B: Landowners having bush on their property as part of the current use, but not really valuing it for it nature conservation and environmental service values. It may or not be managed well.

Group C: Landowners valuing the land underneath the bush more than the bush. The land is not usually capable of supporting agriculture or human use, and so the bush has been left. Financial aspects related to development rate the highest for these landowners.

Incentives need to be provided for each of these groups appreciating the objectives of the landholder. Incentives need to recognise that nearly all landowners will at some stage be looking to realize on the capital value of their land.

INCENTIVES

Local Authorities can and are providing incentives for private land conservation in four main areas:

1. rate relief for high conservation bushland and wetland areas;
2. building a nature conservation ethic amongst the Council;
3. supporting a nature conservation ethic amongst the community; and
4. using the development and subdivisional process to meet nature conservation objectives.

1. The Conservation Zone and rate relief

The rate relief system is based on rezoning land from Rural to Conservation in the Shire's Town Planning Scheme. The rezoning process has proven to be cumbersome, but this may be a result of the rezoning being the first of its kind in the state. Subsequent rezonings should be simpler and quicker.

Conservation Zone landowners are most likely to come from Group A described above.

A system of rate relief has been introduced into Serpentine-Jarrahdale which is offered to landowners with high conservation bushland and wetland areas. So far, three properties with 1600 hectares of bushland have received rate relief.

The Council has taken a brave step. Any reduction in rates is often see by much of the community as "not what we are getting for this", but "how are we going to re-coup the lost rates". Whilst this rate relief is of some consequence to the Shire's budget, it is very important to the landholders in helping offset costs of management. (1600ha results in a $6000 saving to those three landholders).

2. Building a nature conservation ethic amongst the Council

A culture of nature conservation amongst the Council is important in improving how the Council looks after the bush in its care, and how it manages native vegetation in everything it does. Reserves vested in the Local Authority or State Government agencies are often in as bad if not worse condition than land in private ownership.

As an example of this, a Local Government officer may find a typical response from a private landowner in a discussion about land management standards is 'What are you telling me about the rabbits - half of them are coming from your reserve!"

By looking after our reserves and managing their natural assets we are saying to all landholders, " this is an acceptable standard of care - we expect you to do the same". This is important to all groups, but especially Groups B and C.

Councils need to look carefully at the bushland in their reserves estate. If they can't look after it properly, then alternatives should be explored. The alternatives may include leasing or letting go of some reserves to focus on the important ones, or preferably, managing reserves in partnership with the community. Building a case to increase funds available for bushland reserves should not be difficult when compared with the amount allocated to active open space in most local authorities.

In Serpentine-Jarrahdale we have over 160 reserves vested in the Local Authority, of which many are small cleared reserves. About 40 of the reserves have bush on them and 20 of these have been selected for management effort. The reserves currently being managed are either highest conservation, with or without threats, or where there is an active community interest.

This management work has been made possible thanks to funding by the Natural Heritage Trust, Local Authority and the work of the Community Landcare Centre and the Serpentine-Jarrahdale Land Conservation District Committee.

3. Supporting a nature conservation ethic amongst the community

Major in-roads have been made in this area over recent years and landholders understanding of conservation issues is increasing. However, as with Councils, converting this awareness into practice, is challenged by all the competing priorities for landholder's time and money.

It is essential that Local Authorities (with support from others) fund Landcare, Landcare Centres, or staff who can assist landowners with their bushland management. Where this is not occurring, local authorities cannot get ready access to professional advice on conservation and environmental matters.

The Serpentine-Jarrahdale Community Catchment Centre finds that there is no shortage of landholders who want to do nature conservation on their properties, or who are keen but need some guidance. From assistance with grant applications, to sites visits, and hire of equipment, - it's happening. This is important for Group A and B landholders.

These incentives operate in tandem with hard approaches to discourage bad practices. For example, getting tough on clearing and tree removal through enforcement of Town Planning Scheme clauses or Ministerial clearing restrictions. Unfortunately, it has been my experience that State and Local Government have too often been reluctant to enforce environmental regulations. This is often a simple case of lack of resources been made available to follow up on compliance.

4. Using the development and subdivisional process to obtain conservation outcomes.

Development and subdivision of land in the rural zone provides numerous opportunities to achieve bushland protection and environmental outcomes. Realizing these opportunities is difficult because whilst the landholder/developer is coming from the objective of profit maximization, the Local Authority is seeking to balance a number of other objectives in the environmental and community sustainability areas. (e.g. provision of services and facilities, environmental impact, impact on surrounding area, amenity, economic and community development etc).

To achieve good outcomes for conservation where land is in the hands of Group C landowners, Local Authorities need good information, good policy, and the ability to implement the policy throughout the development process.

This means that Local Authorities need to:

i) Know their bushland areas

Firstly, these areas should be known to the Shire. Involve landowners where possible. Most local authorities have such a study. E.g. greening plans, vegetation strategy or database.

ii) Develop and implement incentives and policies that make bushland protection objectives clear

Upfront and clear policies are helpful to developers and the community. Without this preparedness, incentives may be difficult to use. (When giving incentives, equality amongst applicants is essential). The Conservation Zone was introduced as a policy prior to being included in the Shire's Town Planing Scheme.

Incentives and policies to encourage private conservation could include:

1. Encourage subdivision for conservation objectives. Whereas, the minimum rural lot size is 40ha in most WA rural areas, the conservation subdivision incentive may stipulate that lots created for conservation purposes include an area of not less than 20 hectares of bushland plus sufficient area for non-conservation related purposes. A covenant over the conservation area should be required. Smaller conservation lots may be created to take into account rare or endangered flora or Threatened Ecological Communities, but the same conditions should apply.
2. Remove the disincentive for properties that have over-cleared. Properties that have over-cleared currently face fewer restrictions on how their land can be developed. On the other hand, landowners with bushland are now required to keep that vegetation - and with good reason. As an incentive for revegetation and bushland protection, local and state government should take into account the area under such vegetation when considering development and subdivision applications. Properties not meeting the minimum area of fenced revegetation or remnant vegetation may attract a revegetation condition as part of the development or subdivision condition. Introduction and implementation of such a policy would need to occur fairly over time. Such a policy would also act as an incentive for landholders to get involved in Landcare who might not otherwise do so. In the Peel-Harvey Catchment, where a 50% perennial vegetation target has been set, a 30% minimum requirement should be considered. [ This standard already e xists for small lot subdivisions (in the 1-4 hectare range ].
3. Following on from the above, require applicants to incorporate environmental repair formally into all development and subdivision proposals. Proponents should be required to submit a "Land Use and Development Management Plan'' with applications. These plans should address:
• fencing of remnant vegetation to protect it from stock;
• the fencing, protection and revegetation of waterways, natural and artificial;
• restoration of the understorey;
• increasing the diversity of species within the remnant;
• retaining species which flower and produce nectar at different times of the year, particularly those which fill the autumn feed gap for nectar-feeding animals;
• prevention of nutrient enrichment from fertiliser drift and animal dung;
• the control of weeds;
• elimination of feral animals;
• control of native pests;
• the planting of vegetation around the remnant to act as a buffer zone against edge effects; and
• linking patches of remnant vegetation with bush corridors; and strategies to encourage wildlife e.g. leaving dead logs or standing dead wood.