Parks

National Reserve System

Getting involved in the NRS - Community groups

Community groups are smaller organisations than the big conservation NGOs, and have their base in a smaller local area. They may be incorporated bodies such as trusts, or friends of a national park, or groups of volunteers who have banded together to protect a valued local environment.

They are often passionate and knowledgeable about the biodiversity values of a local area, and particularly effective in mustering support from volunteers to manage the land they protect. Most community reserves are prized by local residents, and venues for school children to learn firsthand about Australia's flora and fauna. Often they attract visitors from further afield, bringing jobs and cash flow to the local economy.

To undertake the challenge of establishing and managing a protected area as part of the National Reserve System it is important that community groups have the capacity to manage the property in the long-term. Thousands of volunteer hours of fund raising and on ground management activities, together with support from programmes like EnviroFund make it possible.

Between 1997 and 2007, community groups purchased 10 properties covering more than 118,000 hectares, with support from the Australian Government of $4 million.

National Reserve System - Expenditure between 1997 and 30 September 2007 - Community Groups

Measure

Value

Australian Government funds

$3,984,268

Community groups funds

$4,762,280

Area (hectares)

118,463

Properties (no.)

10

National Reserve System - Expenditure between 1997 and 31 January 2008 - Community Groups

Funding community groups

The Australian Government, through the NRS Program, provides up to two dollars for every dollar invested by a community group to add a new property to the National Reserve System.

Funds are available for acquisition through land purchase or through a conservation covenant over existing land.

If you are purchasing land, funds may be applied towards the purchase price, to establish a management plan, to defray legal costs, or for help in establishing the protected area by undertaking essential activities such as boundary realignment or fencing.

If your organisation already owns a property with significant conservation value, NRS Program funding can be applied towards establishing it as a protected area through gazetting the property or entering into a nature conservation covenant agreement. We also have funds for the cost of management planning and urgent threat abatement work.

Ongoing management costs are the responsibility of the community group.

You will need to enter into a contract with the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts involving an on-going commitment to manage the property and report on management outcomes.

You will retain ownership of the land, and will need to agree to manage it according to international standards in conservation management.

Read about criteria and how to apply for funding.