View the
Planned Burning Management web page
for a range of tools and strategies to assist Tasmanian private landholders with fire management.
The Private Land Conservation Program (PLCP) was established in 2006 to provide a single point of management for all of the Department's conservation programs that focus on private land. The Program works with landowners to sustainably manage and conserve natural values (e.g. native flora and fauna, natural wetlands, geoconservation areas) on private land.
We are committed to helping landowners to look after these values now and into the future.
The Department, the agricultural sector and regional Natural Resource Management (NRM) Committees all acknowledge the key role of private landowners in conserving our natural diversity and the public and private benefits that flow from this approach.
Capable land stewardship conserves the natural environment, providing benefits for future Tasmanians and visitors while enabling landowners to maintain market access and capitalise on new opportunities.
The PLCP aims to develop and encourage an integrated approach to private land management and planning that helps landowners fully benefit from the sustainable management of their properties' natural diversity.
We seek to achieve high level recognition of the biodiversity value of natural systems and the need to appropriately protect them, and to support individuals who voluntarily manage these systems for conservation outcomes.
The Private Land Conservation Program includes:
Conservation Covenants
Landowners may enter into a Conservation Covenant to manage defined areas specifically for nature conservation. Covenants are legally binding under the
Nature Conservation Act (2002) and are registered on the land title. Although a Covenant is usually in perpetuity, it may be registered for a fixed-term.
Covenants in perpetuity give peace of mind that natural values, such as native flora and fauna, natural wetlands and geoconservation areas, will persist for generations. They also contribute to Australia's network of protected areas, the
National Reserve System.
Other benefits of a Conservation Covenant include:
- Exemption from land tax (for the area under Covenant);
- Rate rebates in some council areas;
- Salinity and erosion protection by maintaining remnant native vegetation;
- Support and management advice for landowners; and
- A sense of well-being from knowing that you have protected your land for future generations and will be making an important contribution to nature conservation in Australia.
The Private Land Conservation Program maintains a register of expression of interest for new voluntary covenants and processes these requests within available resources with priority given to areas of land with significant natural values such as threatened species. Please note that covenant areas are generally required to be 10 ha in area or greater.
If you would like to have your details included on the expression of interest register, please provide an address and/or title reference, contact information, and a brief description of what you know about the natural values on your land and email to PrivateLandConservation.Enquiries@nre.tas.gov.au.
If your property is greater than 2 hectares in size you might also like to consider registering with the Land for Wildlife scheme run by the Tasmanian Land Conservancy.