The Nature Refuges Program
- What is a nature refuge?
- Want to see more?
- What are the benefits of a nature refuge for you?
- Hear it from the horse's mouth
- Nature refuge agreements
- Changes to an agreement
- Is my property suitable for a nature refuge?
- What's the process?
- Does it affect land value?
- Native Title and nature refuges
- Mining on nature refuges
What is a nature refuge?
Nature refuges comprise the second largest expanse of Queensland's protected areas estate, and actually out number national parks.
A nature refuge is a voluntary agreement between a landholder and the Queensland Government that acknowledges a commitment to manage and preserve land with significant conservation values while allowing compatible and sustainable land uses to continue. Landholders with a nature refuge continue to own and manage their land to generate an income and in keeping with their lifestyle. Landholders also make an invaluable contribution to protecting our natural and cultural resources for the future.
In a vast state bearing a diverse array of species, ecosystems and significant sites, nature refuges fill an important niche in promoting a community-based landscape approach to conservation.
Want to see more?
View the nature refuge promotional video (7MB)
What are the benefits of a nature refuge for you?
- Nature refuges not only reflect the significant values on your land but also your effective management to maintain them over time. In this way, nature refuge declaration is a commendation for your good land management;
- The legacy that can be created through the perpetuity of a nature refuge agreement is often attractive to landholders who have invested significant effort in good management particularly those with historical or family association with their property;
- You do not have to choose between productivity and conservation as a nature refuge agreement can be negotiated to allow for continued use of the land resulting in an outcome of both ecological and economic sustainability;
- With a nature refuge agreement there are also opportunities to tender for financial assistance with on-ground management with NatureAssist. While tendered activities must result in a conservation gain, there is nothing to prohibit these activities simultaneously improving your private enterprise or enhancing your property values (e.g. stock exclusion fencing, alternate watering points).
Read the Nature Refuge Information Sheet
Hear it from the horse's mouth
The willingness of landholders to engage in conservation through sustainable land management is demonstrated through the uptake of nature refuge agreements. View some landholders' and companies' stories on how they got involved and why:
Pastoral Company (PDF, 449K)*
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Private landholder (PDF, 391K)*
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Indigenous (PDF, 624K)*
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Stories extracted from Land for Wildlife Queensland 10-Year Commemorative Publication (August 2008)
Nature refuge agreements
A nature refuge agreement (also called a conservation agreement):
- is negotiated directly between you and the department and tailored to suit your management needs;
- enables sustainable production of your land to continue through balancing conservation values you wish to protect;
- can apply to the whole property or only to certain areas, depending upon the values and the future intent of the land;
- owners of freehold land, leasehold land, State departments and local councils are able to enter into a nature refuge agreement;
- is perpetual on freehold land, attached to the land title, and binds successive owners of the land. A perpetual agreement is the best means for you to ensure that your good land management practices and restoration work will be continued when future generations or when ownership changes.
- is for the duration of the lease and binds successive lessees, when over leasehold lands.
Changes to an agreement
Although conditions are negotiated and incorporated into a nature refuge agreement for the duration of the agreement, the Nature Conservation Act 1992 does make provision for changes to agreement conditions through negotiation with the State, as long as the nature refuge values are retained.
If a landholder feels changes are necessary to the conditions of the agreement they will need to discuss the issues with a Nature Refuge Officer. It may be possible to accommodate the concerns without altering the agreement.
Is my property suitable for a nature refuge?
An area nominated for a nature refuge is assessed by a Nature Refuge Officer for the condition and proposed future use of the area.
Consideration will be given to:
- areas containing, or providing habitat for, plant and animal species that are rare or threatened;
- habitats or vegetation types that are threatened, such as endangered and of concern regional ecosystems;
- habitats and ecosystems that are poorly represented in existing reserves;
- remnant vegetation;
- movement corridors for native animals, especially those linking areas of remnant vegetation or existing reserves;
- significant wetlands, including mound spring communities; and/or
- cultural heritage.
To determine whether an area of land is a priority as a nature refuge, an assessment of the land's natural and cultural values against the Nature Refuge Program objectives and conservation priorities is conducted. This assessment considers the
significance of the proposed nature refuge at a property, landscape and strategic level.
Successful nature refuge proposals are those that:
- at a property level, contain significant natural and/or cultural resources that are of a sufficient size, condition and placement in the landscape to remain viable in the long-term;
- at a landscape level, increase the representation of the state's biodiversity and establish or maintain landscape linkages and corridors; and/or
- at a strategic level, possess exceptional values or circumstances that directly or indirectly contribute to improved conservation in Queensland.
What's the process?
If a landholder is interested in a nature refuge or would like more information they can contact the department. Alternatively, if the department identifies land suitable for a nature refuge they may approach the landholder.
In both cases, with agreement from the landholder, the Nature Refuge Officer will:
- explain the process of developing a nature refuge agreement and declaring a nature refuge;
- discuss any questions the landholder may have;
- visit the area to evaluate its conservation value; and
- discuss any current or future management.
If the landholder and the department wish to proceed, a draft nature refuge agreement is produced in consultation with the landholder.
Each nature refuge agreement is negotiated directly with the landholder and tailored to suit the management needs of the site
and the needs of the landholder.
Once the details of the agreement are settled, both the landholder and the State sign the agreement.
Feel free to contact us if you are interested in protecting the values on your land or for more information.
Does it affect land value?
In theory, any commitment on title that limits future options could be viewed by the market place as lowering value. However, this depends on the potential purchaser and many other factors. For example, a nature refuge that extends the duration of a lease, or one that protects the natural values on freehold land, might be the main reason a purchaser is buying the land, therefore may be neutral in effect or even increase value. There is no evidence that gazetting a nature refuge dramatically affects values one way or the other. For more information, refer to the land valuation clarification article (PDF, 4.8M)* in Nature Refuge News Issue 10.
Native Title and nature refuges
The department recognises and seeks to protect Native Title rights and interests on lands where Native Title exists or may exist. In entering into nature refuge agreements over these lands, it is not the intention of the department to affect Native Title rights and interests.
The department will provide written notification to registered Native Title claimants and Native Title Representative Bodies of a proposal to declare a nature refuge.
The department recognises that a nature refuge agreement over leases that are made without the involvement and approval of Native Title claimants (e.g. through negotiation of an Indigenous Land Use Agreement) are not binding on the landholder's successors in title or other persons who have an interest in the land, including Native Title claimants.
Mining on nature refuges
A nature refuge does not alter any existing or future rights related to mineral or petroleum exploration and extraction. However, a nature refuge may require additional conditions on exploration and where a proposed nature refuge is considered to be of outstanding conservation significance, the conservation significance must be addressed on a case-by-case basis in relation to any proposed exploitation of the resource.
Feel free to contact us if you are interested in protecting the values on your land or for more information
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Last updated: 29 January 2009