Protecting reserves

To conserve Australia's biodiversity in the long-term, Bush Heritage reserves are legally protected, with the intention of safeguarding them forever.

Conservation covenants

For all our reserves, we put in place conservation covenants. These restrict what can be done on the property, and are the strongest legal instruments available to us.

A covenant means that Bush Heritage enters into a legally enforceable agreement to steward the land in a certain way.

What covenants mean

In general, our conservation covenants prohibit some activities:

• subdivision
• building (except in very limited locations)
• removal of native vegetation
  
• interference with native animals and their habitats
• disposal of non-degradable waste
• interference with natural watercourses and wetlands.

And require that some activities must take place:

• protection of the ecological integrity and diversity of ecosystems
• control of feral animals and weeds
• appropriate fire management
• erosion management
• ongoing monitoring of the land, water, plants and wildlife
• use of local seed stock for any revegetation.

We not only manage the reserves in accordance with the covenant, but also undertake additional work to actively improve the health and resilience of ecosystems and populations of native species.

Length of covenants

For properties we own outright, covenants apply in perpetuity. This means that the property is protected forever, no matter who owns it.

For properties for which we have a long-term Crown lease, the covenant holds for the life of the lease. Given the very long-term nature of our Crown leases, and the fact that they can be easily renewed, this still offers substantial protection.

Where the Federal Government's National Reserve System program has provided funding to help us acquire a lease, there is additional protection for the property. The lease cannot be on-sold except to an organisation that has conservation as its primary goal.