Land for Wildlife is a voluntary, non-binding nature conservation scheme which supports and recognises landowners who are taking a positive approach to combining nature conservation with the management of their properties.
It had its origins in Victoria, being started by members of the Bird Observers Club of Australia in 1981 who were protecting natural areas of bushland on their properties as “land for wildlife”.
A nationally coordinated approach to Land for Wildlife (LFW) is managed through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) ‘Agreement to Co-ordinate Land for Wildlife schemes’ between each participating jurisdiction and the State of Victoria.
This ensures nationally consistent protocols are established and standards of delivery are maintained in the delivery of LFW across the country.
The LFW scheme was established in Tasmania in 1998 and was delivered by the Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment (DPIPWE).
From the 1 February 2019 delivery of LFW was transferred from DPIPWE to the Tasmanian Land Conservancy Inc. (TLC) which is now the sole manager of the LFW scheme in Tasmania.
As at 31 January 2019, there were around 1,025 LFW agreements in Tasmania with DPIPWE covering 58,943 hectares. This did not reflect the total number of property visits as many properties changed ownership, some multiple times with the new owners keen to maintain the LFW registration and become members.
A key component of the success of LFW is the ongoing engagement with new landowners, meeting with them on their land and learning how they feel about the natural values and nature conservation. It provides landowners the opportunity to seek advice and have the natural values of their land identified.
This same approach will continue under the TLC’s coordination.
How to apply