Meeting papers

7.3 After Assessment
Local Governments recognise that during an initial property assessment, new LfW members may
encounter unfamiliar terms and concepts regarding wildlife habitat, nature conservation and
ecological restoration. Council LfW Officers aim to present information to LfW members in
appropriate and meaningful ways and recognise that learning new information, skills and confidence
takes time. As such, it is valuable for Local Governments to follow-up an initial property assessment
with written material, broadly termed a ‘Welcome Pack’, that contains the following:

    •   Welcome Letter. This letter welcomes the landholder(s) to the LfW program and thanks them
        for their contribution to nature conservation. It outlines the products and services that they
        will receive by being a LfW member and the ways in which they can engage with their council
        LfW Officer and the program.

    •   Signed LfW Agreement. This is a copy of the LfW Agreement that was signed by the
        landholder and the council LfW Officer during assessment.

    •   Bushland Management Plan / Property Assessment Report. A key resource developed for
        LfWSEQ members is a report based on the initial property assessment. This report reinforces
        matters discussed verbally in the field during assessment and recognises that information
        often needs to be presented in multiple ways for it to be adopted. It provides a written
        reference point for landholders to review and absorb the variety of information over time.
        The report varies in format and title between councils, but conveys:
            - Key natural assets of the property (e.g. ecosystems, threatened species, habitat
                trees, geological features).
            - Key threats to natural assets (e.g. weeds, feral animals, bushfire and erosion).
            - Prioritised land management recommendations to protect assets and reduce threats
                across different parts (management zones) of their property.

    •   Requested/Relevant Resources. Council LfW Officers may provide resources to the new LfW
        member such as weed fact sheets, additional property maps or threatened species
        information relevant to the property or as requested by the landholder.

    •   Certificate. Some Local Governments continue the tradition of creating a Certificate of
        Registration for new LfW members. Certificates may be signed by the Mayor or council
        managers and offer recognition and thanks to LfW members. Certificates are optional.


7.4 Ongoing
To ensure successful nature conservation outcomes and membership satisfaction, ongoing
partnerships between LfWSEQ members and their council LfW Officer(s) is essential. Building trust,
respect and understanding takes time and these following resources/activities help this process.
    •   General Correspondence. Council LfW Officers provide regular contact and support to
        LfWSEQ members through phone, email and in-person exchanges on a range of matters
        including native plant identification, weed identification, weed control advice, wildlife
        identification and habitat requirements, advice on conservation tools and
        feedback/encouragement on conservation work undertaken. These types of informal
        exchanges are essential for building trusted partnerships between councils and LfW
        members and result in improved nature conservation outcomes. Councils aim to correspond
        directly with every LfWSEQ member every 2 years.



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