Empowering the private land conservation movement
Funding context
In 2022, Rendere extended its support for private land conservation by providing core funding and back-of-house support for the establishment of Land Covenantors Victoria.
The new association brings land covenantors together to connect, share knowledge, advocate for better government incentives and break down barriers to participation.
Background and situational context
The private land conservation movement has been growing rapidly since the 1970s, with around 1,500 Victorians placing perpetual covenants on their land via Trust for Nature (TFN) to protect over 111,000 hectares of habitat.
While these landholders are supported by TFN, Land for Wildlife, local councils, catchment management authorities and other groups, there has been no platform to bring covenantors together to share knowledge and advocate for better policies.
Launched in 2022 with a highly skilled board and committee, Land Covenantors Victoria has attracted hundreds of members and is now the authoritative voice on private land conservation. Its advocacy played a critical role in the Victorian Government’s decision to introduce a new land tax exemption for land protected by a conservation covenant with Trust for Nature from 1 January 2024.
“The Rendere Trust has been instrumental in getting Land Covenantors Victoria off the ground. Together we’ve been able to build awareness of the benefits of covenanting and how it enables individuals and families to take personal action to protect the environment. This is an inspirational movement, one that will gain significant momentum over the coming years, enabling more people to leave a living environmental legacy.“
– Land Covenantors Victoria secretary, Diana Droog.