Private protected areas? assessing the suitability for incorporating conservation agreements over private land into the national reserve system: A case study of Victoria

Environmental and Planning Law Journal

Volumn 23, Issue 5, 2006, Pages 365-385

  Fitzsimons, James A ^a,b  

^a DEAKIN UNIVERSITY   (Australia)

^b The Victorian Environmental Assessment Council (VEAC)   (Australia)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

EID: 56249105141     PISSN: 0813300X     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: None     Document Type: Article

References (107)

1. Commonwealth of Australia, National Strategy for the Conservation of Australia's Biological Diversity (Department of Environment, Sport and Territories, 1996).
2. Commonwealth of Australia, Australian Guidelines for Establishing the National Reserve System (Environment Australia, 1999).
3. Stoneham G, Crowe M, Platt S, Chaudhri V, Soligo J and Strappazzon L, Mechanisms for Biodiversity Conservation on Private Land (Department of Natural Resources and Environment, 2000)
4. Figgis P, Conservation on Private Lands: the Australian Experience (IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK, 2004)
5. Cowell S and Williams C, "Conservation Through Buyer-diversity: A Key Role for Not-for-profit Land-holding Organizations in Australia" (2006) 7 Ecological Management & Restoration 5.
6. Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council, Directions for the National Reserve System - A Partnership Approach
7. LAWBOOK CO.
8. NRMMC, 2005, available online at http://www.deh.gov.au/parks/publications/nrs/directions/pubs/directions.pdf (viewed 2 February 2006).
9. Biodiversity Group, Environment Australia, Protected areas on private and leasehold lands (Environment Australia, 1997)
10. Lee G and Szabo S, "The Private Lives of Protected Areas: Private Land in the National Reserve System" in Craig JL, Mitchell N and Saunders DA (eds), Nature Conservation 5: Nature Conservation in Production Environments - Managing the Matrix (Surrey Beatty & Sons, 2000) pp 502-510.
11. Fitzsimons J and Wescott G, "Policy Implications of the Transfer of Ownership of Scotia Sanctuary for the National Reserve System in Australia" (2002) 19 EPLJ 329.
12. IUCN, Guidelines for Protected Area Management Categories (CNPPA with the assistance of WCMC IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK, 1994).
13. World Commission on Protected Areas Australia and New Zealand Region, Application of IUCN Protected Area Management Categories: Draft Australian Handbook (WCPA ANZR, 2000), available online from http://www.unep-wcmc.org/protected_areas/categories/australia.pdf (viewed 2 February 2006).
14. Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council, n 4.
15. IUCN, n 7.
16. World Commission on Protected Areas Australia and New Zealand Region, n 8.
17. Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council, n 4.
18. Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council, n 4.
19. S Pizzey, National Reserve System Program (Personal Communication, 2005).
20. World Commission on Protected Areas Australia and New Zealand Region, n 8.
21. IUCN, n 7.
22. World Commission on Protected Areas Australia and New Zealand Region, n 8.
23. Hardy AM, (ed), Terrestrial Protected Areas in Australia: 2000 Summary Statistics from the Collaborative Australian Protected Area Database (CAPAD) (Environment Australia, 2001)
24. Australia, Department of the Environment and Heritage, Terrestrial and Marine Protected Areas in Australia: 2002 Summary Statistics from the Collaborative Australian Protected Areas Database (CAPAD) (DEH, 2003) available online at http://www.deh.gov.au/parks/nrs/capad/2002/report/pubs/capad_2002_report.pdf (viewed 2 February 2006).
25. Department of the Environment and Heritage, n 18.
26. Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council, n 4.
27. The "JANIS criteria" - JANIS, Nationally Agreed Criteria for the Establishment of a Comprehensive, Adequate and Representative Reserve System for Forests in Australia (Joint ANZECC/MCFFA National Forest Policy Statement Implementation Subcommittee, 1997).
28. As defined by JANIS, n 21.
29. Commonwealth of Australia and State of Victoria, West Victoria Regional Forest Agreement (2000).
30. It remains unclear how such agreements will be incorporated into the RFA reporting process since the signing of the RFAs in Victoria.
31. Based on NRE, IUCN Categories and Other Key Datasets for Parks and Conservation Reserves in Victoria (National Parks and Reserves Branch, National Parks Service, Department of Natural Resources and Environment, 1996).
32. Stoneham et al, n 3; Figgis, n 3.
33. Fitzsimons J and Wescott G, "The Role and Contribution of Private Land in Victoria to Biodiversity Conservation and the Protected Area System" (2001) 8 Australian Journal of Environmental Management 142.
34. As of 1 March 2006 there were 703 conservation covenants in Victoria protecting 30,519 ha.
35. Victorian Conservation Trust Act 1972 (Vic), s 3A(3).
36. It is a common misconception that the Trust for Nature can sign a covenant with itself. This was highlighted in the recent draft NRMMC document which suggested the Naringaningalook Grassland was a good example of a Private Protected Area as it had a conservation covenant over the title.
37. NRMMC, Directions for the National Reserve System - A Partnership Approach, For Comment (Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council, 2004) p 26.
38. In some cases, bequeathed land may have restrictions on whether the Trust can sell the land or the conditions under which it can sell.
39. As at 1 March 2006.
40. Victorian Conservation Trust Act 1972 (Vic), s 3(1).
41. M Looker, Trust for Nature (Personal Communication, 2005).
42. Conservation, Forests and Lands Act 1987 (Vic), s 69(1).
43. Conservation, Forests and Lands Act 1987 (Vic), s 71(2).
44. McMahon K and Brighton M, Anglesea Heath Management Plan (Parks Victoria and Alcoa World Aluminia Australia, 2002).
45. Wildlife Act 1975 (Vic), s 32(1).
46. Wildlife Act 1975 (Vic), s 32(3).
47. Wildlife Act 1975 (Vic), s 32(4).
48. The definition of which is defined under the Wildlife Act 1975 (Vic), s 3.
49. Robertson HA and James K, Draft Kanyapella Basin Environmental Management Plan (Report prepared for Kanyapella Basin Steering Committee, School of Ecology and Environment, Deakin University, 2005).
50. NRE, n 25.
51. Wildlife Act 1975 (Vic), s 34.
52. Wildlife Act 1975 (Vic), s 34(1).
53. Wildlife Act 1975 (Vic), s 34(2).
54. Stoneham G, Chaudhri V, Ha A and Strappazzon L, "Auctions for Conservation Contracts: An Empirical Examination of Victoria's BushTender trial" (2003) 47 Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics 477.
55. Stoneham et al, n 46.
56. Department of Sustainability and Environment, BushTender Trial - Information for landholders (Department of Sustainability and Environment, 2002)
57. Department of Sustainability and Environment, Southern Victoria BushTender "On-title protection agreements" Information Sheet No. 8. (Department of Sustainability and Environment, 2005), available online at http://www.dse.vic.gov.au/CA256F310024B628/0/DBA7B89A21A12495CA256FF900049758/$File/Information+sheet+8+-+protection+agreements.pdf (viewed 1 October 2006).
58. Department of Sustainability and Environment, n 48.
59. Conservation, Forests and Lands Act 1987 (Vic), s 69.
60. Department of Sustainability and Environment, n 48.
61. Department of Sustainability and Environment, n 48.
62. Planning and Environment Act 1987 (Vic), s 173.
63. Planning and Environment Act 1987 (Vic), s 182.
64. Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1998 (Vic), s 26.
65. Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1998 (Vic), s 26(1).
66. Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1998 (Vic), s 26(3).
67. Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1998 (Vic), s 26(4).
68. Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1998 (Vic), s 26.
69. It should be noted that while the Minister can make an Interim Conservation Order for a listed (or nominated for listing) community on Crown land, the Minister cannot do so for private land.
70. Walker A, "The Victorian Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act - A Toothless Tiger Quoll?" (2003) 120 Victorian Naturalist 224.
71. Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1998 (Vic), s 27.
72. Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1998 (Vic), s 32.
73. Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth), Ch 5, Part 14, s 305.
74. Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth), s 306(2)(a)(i).
75. Conservation Agreement between Ian Campbell, Minister for the Environment and Heritage, and Nick Whitby of Buller Ski Lifts Pty Ltd signed on 18 January 2006 is for the protection and conservation of the endangered Mountain Pygmy-possum at the Mount Buller Alpine Resort.
76. Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth), s 306(1)(g).
77. Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth), s 307.
78. Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth), s 308.
79. The Minister must cause a copy of an order terminating or varying a conservation agreement to be laid before each House of the Parliament within 20 sitting days after publication of the order.
80. Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Regulations 2000 (Cth), no. 181, Reg 7.13.
81. Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth), s 207A.
82. Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Regulations 2000 (Cth), no. 181, Reg 7.09, s (2)(b).
83. Register of Critical Habitat available online at http://www.deh.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/critical-habitat/index.html (viewed 13 April 2006).
84. Indigenous Protected Areas website at http://www.deh.gov.au/indigenous/ipa/index.html (viewed 13 April 2006).
85. However, IPAs are not considered protected areas for the purpose of conservation planning exercises in some states.
86. Sahukar R, Gallery C, Smart J and Mitchell P, The Bioregions of New South Wales: Their Biodiversity, Conservation and History (NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service, 2003).
87. Platt SJ and Ahern ID, "Nature Conservation on Private Land in Victoria, Australia - The Role of Land for Wildlife" in Saunders DA, Craig JL and Mattiske EM (eds), Nature Conservation 4: The Role of Networks (Surrey Beatty and Sons, 1995), pp 300-311.
88. Fitzsimons JA and Wescott G, "History and Attributes of Selected Australian Multi-tenure Reserve Networks" (2005) 36 Australian Geographer 75.
89. Wescott G, "Reserve Management: The Fourth 'R' of Local Government" (1992) 28(3) Australian Parks & Recreation 42.
90. Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council, n 4.
91. Fitzsimons JA and Wescott G, "Perceptions and Attitudes of Land Managers in Multi-tenure Reserve Networks and the Implications for Conservation" (in press) Journal of Environmental Management.
92. Fitzsimons JA, The Contribution of Multi-tenure Reserve Networks to Biodiversity Conservation PhD thesis (School of Ecology and Environment, Deakin University, 2004) available online at http://tux.lib.deakin.edu.au/adt-VDU/public/adt-VDU20050817.103606 (viewed 2 February 2006).
93. Stephens S, National Survey of Landholder Views on Conservation Covenants, Report on findings (Bush for Wildlife, 2002).
94. The World Commission on Protected Areas Australia and New Zealand Region, n 8, section 3.2.3, states that [a]t least three-quarters and preferably more of the area must be managed for the primary purpose of biological conservation; and the management of the remaining area must not be in conflict with that primary purpose.
95. Stephens S, Lambert J, Elix J, Morrison C and Kennedy M, "Conservation Covenants: A National Survey of Landholders' Views" (2002) 3 Ecological Management & Restoration 146.
96. Stephens, n 78.
97. IUCN, n 7.
98. World Commission on Protected Areas Australia and New Zealand Region, n 8; DEH, n 18.
99. An example of a covenant for which IUCN Category II may be appropriate is Ironbark Basin, a local government reserve at Anglesea managed for conservation and low-key recreation, adjoining the much larger Great Otway National Park (an IUCN II protected area).
100. Ross J, Kinypanial Grasslands Management Plan (Trust for Nature, 2002).
101. Fitzsimons JA and Ashe C, "Some Recent Strategic Additions to Victoria's Protected Area System 1997-2002" (2003) 120 Victorian Naturalist 98
102. Fitzsimons JA, FitzSimons P and Ashe C, "Further Strategic Additions to Victoria's Public Protected Area System: 2002-2004" (2004) 121 Victorian Naturalist 214.
103. LMCA over Anglesea Heath is managed by Parks Victoria as part of the adjoining Great Otway National Park and has been allocated IUCN protected area Category II (McMahon and Brighton, n 36), although this is public land under lease.
104. World Commission on Protected Areas Australia and New Zealand Region, n 8.
105. Conservation, Forests and Lands Act 1987 (Vic), s 69(3).
106. Fitzsimons JA and Wescott G, "The Classification of Lands Managed for Conservation: Existing and Proposed Frameworks, With Particular Reference to Australia" (2004) 7 Environmental Science & Policy 477.
107. Fitzsimons and Wescott, n 26.