Trust for Nature

Trust for Nature

Founded	1972
Type	not-for-profit
Focus	Protection of native plants and wildlife in Victoria
Location	Victoria (Australia)
Website	www.trustfornature.org.au

Trust for Nature is a not-for-profit organisation that protects native plants and wildlife in Victoria (Australia) in cooperation with private landowners.^{[1] [2]} The Trust was established under the Victorian Conservation Trust Act 1972 to enable people to contribute permanently to nature conservation by donating land or money.^[3] Trust for Nature has since evolved into one of Victoria's primary private land conservation organisations.^[4]

Trust for Nature developed conservation covenants in 1978 as a tool to protect native plants and wildlife on private land. Conservation covenants are backed by Victorian State legislation through the Victorian Conservation Trust Act 1972 and the Trust currently has more than 1,115 conservation covenants in effect which protects more than 47,000 hectares of private land.^[5] The Trust has also purchased and preserved more than 55 properties across Victoria through its Revolving Fund, as well as currently owning and managing 46 properties that cover over 36,000 hectares of Victoria.^[6]

Trust for Nature's vision

"Within two decades, protecting native plants and wildlife on private land will be recognised and valued as a central part of mainstream Australian environmental practice. There will be a shared expectation and responsibility among communities, landowners and governments that significant natural areas on privately owned land should be conserved, just as national and state parks are protected"^[6]

Conservation tools

Trust for Nature has developed five key mechanisms to achieve conservation gains on private land:^[7]

Conservation covenants

Private landowners protect quality native vegetation on their land by placing a covenant on the title, protecting the land in perpetuity.^[8]

Stewardship program

Land management advice and information is provided to landowners who have covenanted their property.^[9]

Revolving fund

The Trust purchases land of high vegetation quality and onsells the property with a covenant attached. Proceeds from the sale go back into the Revolving Fund.^[10]

Land acquisition

Trust for Nature acquires land of high conservation value and manages it with the help of volunteers. Trust-owned properties are often used for open days and education purposes, demonstrating land conservation practices.^[11]

Eco-markets

The Trust organises native vegetation offset agreements between private landowners and proponents who have an offset requirement. Landowners receive a payment from the proponent to improve native vegetation quality on their land.^[12]

Regions

Trust for Nature operates within Victoria's ten catchment management areas, often in partnership with the region's Catchment Management Authority (CMA).^[13]

The 10 CMA regions covering Victoria are:

• Corangamite
• East Gippsland
• Glenelg Hopkins
• Goulburn Broken
• Mallee
• North Central
• North East
• Port Phillip and Westernport
• West Gippsland
• Wimmera

Partnerships

Corridor partners

• Great Eastern Ranges
• Habitat 141^[14]

Interstate land alliances

• Queensland Trust for Nature^[15]
• Conservation Trust of NSW^[16]
• Tasmanian Land Conservancy^[17]

Trusts and foundations

• Thomas Foundation^[18]

Land acquisition

Trust properties donated to the Crown

Trust for Nature owns properties throughout Victoria which are managed by the Trust and cared for by Friends groups and local Committees of Management.^[19] Throughout its history, the Trust has purchased parcels of land and subsequently transferred them to the Crown. Examples of significant transfers include:

• Arthur's Seat
• Edithvale Swamp, now part of the Edithvale-Seaford Wetlands
• Churchill Island
• French Island
• Greens Bush, now part of Main Ridge
• Haining Farm in Don Valley
• 119ha parcel now part of Yellingbo Nature Conservation Reserve
• Long Forest Nature Conservation Reserve
• McKinnon's Land, part of Hattah-Kulkyne National Park
• Melba Gully State Park
• Morwell National Park
• One Tree Hill, in the Greater Bendigo National Park
• Tarra-Bulga National Park
• Terrick Terrick National Park
• William Ricketts Sanctuary
• 128ha parcel in Tamboritha, now part of Alpine National Park

Current Trust for Nature properties

Trust for Nature buys and maintains land of high conservation value to protect native plants and wildlife. Trust properties are managed using the best private land conservation techniques to help regenerate native vegetation and protect threatened species.^[20]

Corangamite properties

• Mount Elephant^[21]
• Henriksen Sanctuary
• Linton Nature Reserve
• Casurina Woodlands
• Ocean Grove Park (Ingamells)
• Dog Rocks
• Clarkesdale Bird Sanctuary

East Gippsland properties

• Bush Family Reserve^[22]
• Friars Reserve
• Stratford Woodland Reserve
• Hainsworth and Maramingo Creek
• Bates, Stockdale
• Billabong West Reserve

Glenelg Hopkins properties

• Pallister’s Reserve^[23]
• Crawley Sanctuary
• Ralph Illidge Sanctuary^[24]

Goulburn Broken properties

• Naringaningalook Grasslands
• Tomlinson's Swamp
• Shaw, Gobur

Mallee properties

• Neds Corner Station^[25]
  • Trust for Nature purchased Neds Corner Station in 2002 with support from the Australian Government's National Reserve System and help from private donors and the local community. The 30,000 hectare property is located west of Mildura along the Murray River.^[26]

North Central properties

• Wanderers Plain
• Korrak Korrak Grassland
• Glassons Grassland
• Long Swamp
• Kinypanial Grassland (Weir)
• Kinypanial Grassland (Woolshed)

North East properties

• Fifteen Mile Creek
• Spring Creek Valley

Port Phillip and Westernport properties

• Harbury
• Uambi^[27]
• Wanderslore
• Willis Nature Park
• Bungalook Conservation Reserve^[28]
• Dexter's Bush
• Dunmoochin
• Eltham Copper Butterfly Reserve
• Kopelis - Lysterfield
• James - Emerald
• Tiny Open Space Reserve

West Gippsland properties

• Grieve Nature Reserve
• Gunyah Gunyah Reserve
• Old Port Albert Reserve
• Uralla Nature Reserve^[29]

Wimmera properties

• Snape Reserve^[30]
• Mt Elgin Swamp
• Flora McDonald Buloke Grassy Woodlands

References

External links

• Trust for Nature