2020-01-13 General Committee Agenda

GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA   13 JANUARY 2020




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GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                                               13 JANUARY 2020

           POLICY GUIDELINE — Private Land Conservation Partnerships
           °     Landholders with land parcels that occur within biodiversity corridors between Core Protected
                 Areas (See Map Appendix 1); and
           °     Landholders who have demonstrated a commitment to achieving conservation outcomes, and
                 are confident that by partnering with Council in the VCA program they will protect and enhance
                 the conservation area as guided by an Environment Management Plan.

           In certain circumstances, landholders with land outside these areas and criteria may be considered
           for VCA if the land has a unique environmental significance, for example the land retains the last
           remaining stand of an endangered ecosystem or species.

           All applications for VCAs—and-split zening-of properties ineligible fora VCA. will be assessed and
           prioritised by the Environment Levy Working Group arAvatyaccording to available resources-aad
           budgeting—._utlisiag—tThe Environment Levy Policy criteria, Voluntary Conservation Agreement
           assessment _matrix.— and Conservation Land Guideline will be used to assess _and_prioritise
           applicationsfer guidance.
           Administrative and Legal Requirements
           The Voluntary Conservation Agreement (VCA)
           A Voluntary Conservation Agreement is a legal document that outlines the terms agreed to
           between the landholder and Council relevant to the conservation area that is under statutory
           protection (see example agreement Appendix 3).
           The VCA includes details of:
           °     Statutory Conservation Protection
           °     Environmental Management Plan
           °     Financial incentives
           The following applies to the VCA:
           e     The agreement is developed in consultation with the landholder.
           °     The maximum term of the VCA is 5 years.
           °     The VCA can be extended past 5 years if agreed by both parties and there are compelling
                 reasons to continue environmental works on a review of the associated Environment
                 Management Plan (e.g. an extreme event such as fire or flood that has damaged restoration
                 works or works critical to the survival of a threatened species).
           ©     The VCA terminates when land changes ownership or when the term of the Environment
                 Management Plan is complete. If ownership of the property changes, Council may seek to
                 engage the new landholder in a new VCA agreement if it is necessary to continue works as
                 identified in the associated Environment Management Plan.
           e   Areas on VCA properties outside the conservation area can continue to be used for other
               purposes (e.g. grazing, orchards, open space, future house site).
           e   _AVCA does not grant any public right of access to the land.

           Landholders are encouraged to seek independent legal and financial advice prior to placing statutory
           conservation protection over their land and entering into an-agreementagreementa VCA. Due to the
           associated start-up costs incurred by Council, before formalising a Veluntan--Conservation
           AgreementVCA, a letter of agreement to proceed will be provided to the landholder for signing. Any
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