Conservation Land Rate

To be eligible for the Conservation Land Rate, you must:

• Be a Mornington Peninsula Shire ratepayer with a property two hectares or more in area
• Not already receive the Farm rate
• Commit to undertake the conservation land management actions outlined in your application
• Allow relevant Shire officers to inspect your property to establish and maintain eligibility
• Maintain records of works carried out as part of the agreement such as receipts of expenditure, before and after works photos, annual works plans and property management plans, and provide copies of these to the Shire when requested.

To receive the discount, eligible landholders must commit to undertaking appropriate conservation land management actions. These need to be outlined on your application and will be discussed with you during the initial property visit. It is the responsibility of the landholder to ensure all works are carried out in accordance with relevant legislation, permits, and appropriately qualified and licensed contractors.  

Actions that ARE eligible for the Conservation Land Rate

 Remnant Vegetation and Habitat Protection

• Protect remnant patches of indigenous vegetation on your property – exclude stock and other property management activities through fencing or other means.
• Retain habitat features like logs and large old trees (dead or alive).
• Control environmental weeds that impact on habitat value and diversity.
• Revegetate with local indigenous species to link patches of remnant bush and create or expand habitat corridors.
• In areas adjacent to remnant bushland, set aside land to encourage natural regeneration by removing stock and controlling environmental weeds.
• Create new habitat by planting with indigenous vegetation that is appropriate for your area.
• Protect rare or threatened species cooperatively with the relevant regulatory bodies.
• Install nest boxes and other habitat features like logs and rocks, for local native fauna.

 To discover more about our local native flora and fauna, visit the Plants of the Peninsula and Wildlife of the Peninsula pages.

Environmental Weed Control

• Control environmental weeds that are impacting on biodiversity and habitat – working towards eradication where feasible.

• Work co-operatively with your neighbours to reduce localised populations of environmental weeds in your area. This can be done in collaboration with your local Landcare group, see our Landcare on the Mornington Peninsula page.
• Reduce the spread of environmental weeds into remnant areas by controlling weed vectors such as livestock movement, vehicles and machinery.

For more information on environmental weeds, visit our Environmental & Noxious Weeds page.

Pest Animal Control

• Control pest animals, such as foxes and rabbits, that are impacting on biodiversity values – reduce or eliminate shelter and other resources or engage a licensed pest animal controller.

• Join with your neighbours to undertake broader, landscape scale pest animal control projects. This can be done in collaboration with your local Landcare group. See our Landcare on the Mornington Peninsula page.

For hints and tips on controlling foxes and rabbits, visit our Foxes and Rabbits page.

Revegetation

• Plant indigenous vegetation that is appropriate for your local area to expand the cover of indigenous vegetation and create new habitat.
• Link patches of remnant bush to create habitat corridors.
• Protect revegetation areas from stock or other property management activities.

For more information on selecting indigenous plants suitable for your region, download a revegetation guide for your region from the Revegetation Plant Guides page.

Creek Protection

• Protect creek corridors and wetlands from stock and other property management activities with fencing or other means.
• Retain remnant indigenous vegetation along creeks.
• Revegetate with appropriate indigenous plants to enhance and expand creek corridors.
• Control environmental weeds that are impacting on biodiversity values.
• Repair existing bank or streamside erosion using environmentally sensitive techniques.

You may also be eligible for a Stream Frontage Grant from Melbourne Water for undertaking creek protection activities, for more information on this program visit Melbourne Water's Stream Frontage Management Program page.

Erosion Control

• Control erosion using sustainable land management practices and rehabilitate areas – revegetate with indigenous species suitable for your region. 

Actions NOT eligible for the Conservation Land Rate

• Planting species that are not indigenous to your local area, for example Australian native plants, ornamental plants or cultivars.
• Planting fruit trees, vegetable and other edible/agricultural plants.
• Weed control for the management of pastures and agricultural land.
• Weed control that is not focused on environmental weeds.

You can complete the online application form here:

Conservation Land Rate Application Form.

What happens next?

A Shire officer will be in contact with you to arrange a site visit to discuss your application, assess your eligibility and provide advice on your management actions.

If you have submitted an application form and are waiting for a response from us, please pay your rates as normal. If your application is approved, we’ll send you a confirmation letter with details of the rate changes and how it will be paid. Approved applicants will continue to receive the Conservation Land Rate each year without re-applying.  However, you must remain willing to allow Shire officers to re-visit your property and continue to keep records of works completed each year. When a property receiving the Conservation Land Rate changes ownership, the rate reduction will be cancelled, and the new owner will need to re-apply.

For further information about the Conservation Land Rate, please contact the Natural Systems team on 1300 850 600.