Fact sheet 3, Landowner covenant proposals
Mole Creek Karst Forest Programme fact sheet
Department of the Environment and Heritage, 2005
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Landowner covenant proposals
Your proposal is the paperwork that you submit to the Programme Administrator because you want to place a conservation covenant on your forested land. Please see Fact Sheet 5, About the agreements, for more information about conservation covenants.
If you wish to sell part or all of your property please read Fact Sheet 6, Assisted land purchase.
What information do I need to consider in my proposal?
Once the site assessment has been completed by the Field Agent, they will help you develop your proposal. For your proposal you will need to consider:
- what part of your forested land you want to protect;
- any management actions you are willing to undertake and which will be included in the agreements;
- the duration of the conservation covenant; and
- the amount of money (price) you wish to receive for placing a conservation covenant on your land and then actively managing this land for the length of the conservation covenant.
We strongly recommend that you discuss your intention to protect forest you own with others who may be affected, such as your family or business associates. We also recommend that you discuss the implications with your normal business advisers.
How do I know what price to nominate?
The MCKFP Field Agent is authorised to negotiate a price with you within strict guidelines. In general, a higher price will be approved for properties with more priority features, specifically karst priorities, and for sale or permanent covenant compared with a twelve year covenant.
What are management actions?
Ongoing active management of the forest is important. Management actions are those actions you will do in the area of the covenant, such as grazing cattle at an agreed intensity during winter, collecting firewood for personal use, weed control or fencing. You will decide which actions you want to include in a covenant, based on advice from the Field Agent.
How will I know what management actions to offer?
An MCKFP Field Agent will visit your property to undertake a site assessment. Once this is complete they can discuss which management actions are both suitable for your property and meet your business needs. If you have had a whole farm plan completed, this may help to inform those actions most suitable for your property.
The Field Agent will provide advice on the conservation status of your property and possible ways in which it can be improved such as weed control, fencing or grazing of stock at certain times of the year. Your own ideas for suitable actions will be welcomed, and you will be able to discuss your ideas with the Field Agent at this stage.
Can I change the management actions over time?
The management actions will be listed in a nature conservation plan that you will agree with the Tasmanian Department of Primary Industries and Water (DPIW). As part of the MCKFP, DPIW will provide ongoing monitoring and management support over the life of your agreement. You can contact them for a reassessment and approval of changes if you want to change the management actions.
How many times can the Field Agent come out to my property?
The Field Agent will conduct a site assessment and provide assistance in developing your proposal. The Field Agent may need to visit your property several times over the period that negotiations are taking place. You should not participate in the MCKFP if you do not want a Field Agent to visit your property.
When and where do I submit my proposal?
Once you and the Field Agent have agreed on the terms of a proposal and draft covenant, your proposal will need to be submitted to the MCKFP Administrator. The proposals will be forwarded to the Minister for the Environment and Heritage for approval.
How will I find out if my proposal is approved?
Successful landowners will be notified and will be sent a financial agreement to sign.
What happens if my proposal is not approved?
If your proposal is not approved the Field Agent will discuss the proposal with you and tell you about other programmes that may assist you in managing your land.
How do the proposals get assessed?
The proposals are assessed against the priority criteria which were developed by the Australian and Tasmanian governments in consultation with the Programme Guidance Group to meet the objectives of the MCKFP (see Fact Sheet 1, General information).
Calculations will be made on a per hectare basis.
How can I be sure that the proposal I make to the MCKFP is the same as the final conservation covenant?
Once your proposal is approved, it will be forwarded to DPIW to finalise a conservation covenant. If any changes are required the Field Agent will contact you again to discuss these with you. Once finalised, the conservation covenant will be signed by the Tasmanian Minister for Primary Industries and Water and registered on your title.
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