The Protected Areas on Private Land Project

THE PROTECTED AREAS ON PRIVATE LAND PROGRAM

The PAPL Program has been highly successful in assisting landowners to protect threatened species and native vegetation communities that occur on their properties. In fact, over 4000ha of native vegetation has been protected in perpetuity, with the 100th PAPL covenant being signed in mid 2005. Without the goodwill of TFGA members and private landowners the Project would not have been successful. .

Types of Conservation Agreements

Three types of voluntary conservation agreements can be negotiated through the Protected Areas on Private Land Program: conservation covenants, management agreements and private reserves.

Conservation Covenants
Conservation covenants are voluntary, legally binding agreements under the Nature Conservation Act 2002 between a landowner and the State Government. Covenants are designed to provide permanent protection for areas or species that have conservation value. Covenants are registered on the title of the land and travel with the title to future landowners. They can apply to all or part of a property and can only be revoked with the agreement of the landowner and the State and Commonwealth Ministers. The government covers all costs associated with registering a conservation covenant.

Management Agreements
Management agreements provide a description of the natural values of the land and provide a management plan for the land. They are legally binding agreements between the landowner and the State Government. They apply for an agreed period, for example 10 years. In most cases they are negotiated along with a conservation covenant, however in some cases they may be negotiated independently.

Private Reserves
At the request of the landowner PAPL can arrange for the proclamation of a private reserve, which is registered on the land title along with a conservation covenant. There are two types of private reserve, Private Sanctuaries and Private Nature Reserves. Private reserve status ensures that the actions of the public are controlled by reserve regulations and are enforceable by the Parks and Wildlife Service.