The Kingborough Environmental Fund has been receiving financial offsets for the removal of vegetation since 2004. Its aim is to balance the loss of biodiversity from development and tree removals over recent years. Developers and landowners in Kingborough who have removed native vegetation will have likely contributed to the fund as a financial offset, which has received over $1 million dollars to date.
The projects include a suite of targeted private land reserves thanks to a partnership with the Tasmanian Land Conservancy. Private land reserves are becoming more important in the conservation of native flora and fauna. Council is interested in hearing from landowners who have areas of good quality native vegetation on their properties, and who would like to see it protected for future generations.
Significant patches of vegetation that contain threatened vegetation communities or habitat for threatened species such as the Swift Parrot and Forty-spotted Pardalote are of particular interest to the Council.
The Implementation Plan, which is available to view and download below, will oversee and guide the expenditure of the fund over a period of four years (the duration is subject to periodic review). Offset projects will be designed to be consistent with the ecological values that have been lost due to development and the conditions that have been placed on the associated development permits.
If you would like to submit an expression of interest, please complete the online form below, or contact the Biodiversity Officer for more information on (03) 6211 8200.
The offset contributions collected through the fund are reinvested into the community through local environmental projects such as revegetation, research and weed control and the protection of land through conservation covenants.
Projects completed:
- Revegetation projects in Kingston and Margate focusing on the creation of swift parrot habitat
- Weed control projects in threatened vegetation communities in Kingston and Bonnet Hill
- Eucalyptus rubida research project
- Interpretive seagrass signage around North West Bay
- Protective measures for seabird habitat at the Neck, Bruny Island
- Funding for a forty-spotted pardalote genetic research project
- Funding for an environmentally-sensitive mooring project in North West Bay
Covenant Projects:
Council partners with the Tasmanian Land Conservancy (TLC) to liaise with landholders, undertake surveys, and produce the appropriate documentation for the Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment (DPIPWE).
- Seven properties were selected that enable Council to meet all of its private land conservation targets.
- Six projects have been finalised by DPIPWE and 1 is currently in the final stages of processing.
- The seven covenants are located in Lower Snug, Oyster Cove, North Bruny and South Bruny.
- The KEF not only covers the costs of creating the covenants through TLC and DPIPWE, but also covers stewardship payments.
- Stewardship payments are payments either made to the landowner, or on behalf of the landowner for activities that will improve a covenants’ condition to a state that is more easily maintained in perpetuity by the landowner.
- Stewardship actions include fencing, weed control, revegetation and signage.
- Stewardship payments form the major component of KEF expenditure.
