What is a Nature Refuge?

An environment worth protecting
(EPA photo)

A nature refuge:

acknowledges a commitment to preserve land with significant natural and/or cultural heritage values in perpetuity
is voluntarily entered into by the landholder
can be on leasehold or freehold land
is a class of protected area under the Nature Conservation Act 1992.

Nature refuge agreements

A nature refuge agreement:

is negotiated directly between the EPA and the landholder with the landholder and tailored to suit their management needs
outlines those activities that can occur on the nature refuge
can incorporate activities ranging from grazing to recreation, so long as those activities are managed sustainably and are appropriate for the protection of the values you wish to protect
can apply to the whole property or only to certain areas, depending upon the values and the future intent of the land
owners of freehold land, lessees of State land, State departments and local councils are able to enter into a nature refuge agreement
over leasehold lands are for the duration of the lease and bind successive lessees
is perpetual on freehold land, attached to the land title, and binds successive owners of the land. A perpetual agreement is the best means for landholders to ensure that the good land management practices and restoration work that they have initiated will be continued when future generations or new owners take over.

Flexibility

Nature refuges:

allow landholders to retain ownership and management
recognise outstanding land management practices
allow for primary production
allow for timber management
allow for recreational activities
do not change public access to the property .

Determining suitability

An area nominated for a nature refuge is assessed by an EPA Nature Refuge Officer. The condition, trend and proposed future use of the area will be discussed.

Consideration will be given to:

areas containing, or providing habitat for, plant and animal species that are rare or threatened
habitats or vegetation types that are threatened, such as endangered and of concern regional ecosystems
habitats and ecosystems that are poorly represented in existing reserves
remnant vegetation
movement corridors for native animals, especially those linking areas of remnant vegetation or existing reserves
significant wetlands, including mound spring communities
cultural heritage.

Procedure

Landholders who are interested in protecting the conservation values of their land may approach the EPA about options for protecting these values. Alternatively, the EPA may identify land suitable for a nature refuge agreement and approach the landholder.

In both cases, with agreement from the landholder, the local Nature Refuge Officer will:

explain the process of developing a nature refuge agreement and declaring a nature refuge,
discuss any concerns the landholder may have
visit the area to evaluate its conservation value
discuss management issues.

If the landholder and the EPA wish to proceed, a draft nature refuge agreement is produced in consultation with the landholder.

Each nature refuge agreement is negotiated directly with the landholder and tailored to suit the management needs of the site and the needs of the landholder.

Once the details of the agreement are settled, the landholder and the responsible State Government minister sign the agreement.

Incentives and assistance

A number of incentives exist for landholders with a Nature Refuge. These include:

support from a Nature Refuge Officer
access to a range of specialist community groups and other programs
training and support with expertise, volunteers and specialist activities, such as seed collection, revegetation programs and weed control.
NatureAssist — a statewide incentive scheme
NatureAssist —transfer duty and land tax refunds.

Further information on financial assistance

Land value

A variety of factors influence the overall value of a property, therefore it is impossible to know whether land valuations will change when a nature refuge agreement is established.

Buyers looking for land with a nature refuge status as evidence of good land management are becoming more common; however every land holding is different and may not draw interest from such buyers.

Conditions

Conditions are:

legally binding under the Nature refuge agreement
openly negotiated
tailored for each individual landholder
clearly explained and discussed with the landholder prior to signing to ensure that mutual obligations are understood and achievable.
transferred with a change in property owner
designed to ensure that the values contained within the nature refuge are managed appropriately today and into the future.

In most cases, if an area is eligible as a nature refuge, this generally indicates that your current management practices are compatible with the environmental needs.

Changes to the agreement

Although conditions are negotiated and incorporated into a nature refuge agreement for the duration of the agreement, the Nature Conservation Act 1992 does make provision for changes to agreement conditions through negotiation with the Minister for Environment, as long as the nature refuge values are retained.

If a landholder feels changes are necessary to the conditions of the agreement they will need to discuss the issues with a Nature Refuge Officer. It may be possible to accommodate the concerns without altering the agreement.

Terminating an agreement

Although there are provisions within the Nature Conservation Act 1992 for the termination of a nature refuge agreement, they would only be made under exceptional circumstances.

A nature refuge is designed to provide permanent environmental and cultural protection of the land and as such, it is vitally important to recognise the commitment to preserving those values.

Costs of maintaining an agreement

The titleholder retains management responsibility of the nature refuge and as such, all costs associated with the day-to-day management of a nature refuge remain the responsibility of the landholder, unless the nature refuge is eligible for financial assistance.

Benefits