Trust for Nature

Trust for Nature is an Australian not-for-profit organisation focused on private land conservation in the state of Victoria. Established under the Victorian Conservation Trust Act 1972, it was created to give individuals and landowners a way to make lasting contributions to nature conservation through land donations, financial support and legally recognised protection arrangements. The organisation has since developed into one of Victoria’s principal private land conservation bodies. Its stated purpose is to achieve more and better private land conservation in Victoria. Its broader vision is a future in which Victoria’s nature is valued, protected and thriving. Rather than operating primarily as a conventional consumer brand, Trust for Nature functions as a conservation institution, land trust, technical adviser and facilitator of partnerships between private landholders, government, conservation groups and environmental market participants. The organisation’s best-known instrument is the conservation covenant. Developed by Trust for Nature in 1978, a covenant is a legal agreement attached to a property title that protects native vegetation, habitat and other conservation values in perpetuity. Covenants allow private landowners to retain ownership while placing permanent conservation obligations on the land. The mechanism is supported by Victorian legislation and has become a central model for long-term private land protection. More than 1,800 Trust for Nature conservation covenants are reported to protect more than 82,000 hectares of private land. From 1 January 2024, land covered by a Trust for Nature conservation covenant became exempt from Victorian land tax, adding a financial incentive for participating landholders. Trust for Nature supports covenant holders through stewardship services, including land-management advice, information and practical assistance. The organisation also uses a revolving fund to purchase properties with significant native vegetation, place conservation covenants on them and resell them to new owners. Proceeds are returned to the fund so that additional properties can be protected. Through this mechanism, it has purchased and conserved more than 55 properties across Victoria. Another part of its work is direct land ownership and management. Trust for Nature owns and manages more than 40 properties covering over 36,000 hectares in Victoria. These properties can support conservation management, volunteer participation, public open days and educational activities. Neds Corner Station is identified as the largest privately protected conservation property in Victoria. The organisation also receives donated properties, including land with and without significant natural values, to advance its mission. Trust for Nature administers nature-market and native-vegetation-offset arrangements in which private landowners receive payments from proponents with environmental offset obligations in exchange for improving and protecting native vegetation. It is also collaborating with Cassinia Environmental on Bushbank, a Victorian Government-funded program described as involving $77 million, restoration of more than 20,000 hectares and the use of permanent conservation covenants to secure the resulting habitat and carbon benefits. Trust for Nature works across Victoria’s ten catchment areas, frequently in partnership with the relevant Catchment Management Authority. Its operating model combines permanent legal protection, land acquisition, landholder support, ecological restoration, conservation finance and community engagement. The organisation’s distinctive position is therefore based less on a marketed product range than on its role as a long-term custodian and enabling institution for privately held natural landscapes.

Trust for Nature was established in Victoria under the Victorian Conservation Trust Act 1972. Its original institutional purpose was to make it possible for people to contribute permanently to nature conservation by donating land or money. The legislative foundation gave the organisation a continuing public-interest role while enabling it to work with private landowners, whose properties contain a substantial share of Victoria’s native vegetation and wildlife habitat. A major development came in 1978, when Trust for Nature developed the conservation covenant as a mechanism for protecting natural values on private land. Covenants are attached to the land title and impose conservation obligations in perpetuity, allowing ownership to remain private while ensuring that native vegetation and habitat are protected beyond changes in ownership. This approach became the organisation’s defining conservation tool and a major part of Victoria’s private land conservation framework. Over time, Trust for Nature expanded beyond covenant creation into ongoing stewardship. It provides information and land-management advice to covenant holders and works with landowners to maintain or improve ecological values. Its activities are organised across Victoria’s ten catchment areas and are often carried out with Catchment Management Authorities and other regional partners. The organisation also developed a Revolving Fund model. Under this approach, Trust for Nature purchases properties with high-quality native vegetation, protects them with a covenant and resells them. The proceeds return to the fund, allowing the process to be repeated. More than 55 properties have reportedly been purchased and preserved through this mechanism. Direct ownership became another component of the organisation’s conservation work. Trust for Nature owns and manages more than 40 properties covering over 36,000 hectares across Victoria. These areas provide sites for conservation management, volunteer involvement, education and public open days. Neds Corner Station is identified as the largest private conservation property in Victoria. Land donations also contribute to the organisation’s property portfolio and broader mission. In addition to legal protection and land acquisition, Trust for Nature has become involved in conservation markets. It administers native vegetation offset agreements connecting landowners who can improve ecological values with proponents that have offset requirements. Under these arrangements, landholders receive payments for restoration or management while conservation obligations are secured through permanent protection mechanisms. The organisation’s more recent work includes large-scale restoration partnerships. Its collaboration with Cassinia Environmental on the Bushbank program is described as involving Victorian Government funding of $77 million, restoration of more than 20,000 hectares and the use of conservation covenants to protect restored land permanently. Trust for Nature has also introduced additional support for landholders, including a statewide small-grants program for covenant holders described as launching in 2026. Trust for Nature’s development therefore reflects a shift from a statutory vehicle for accepting conservation donations into a broad private land conservation organisation. Its current model integrates permanent legal agreements, stewardship, land purchases, direct reserve management, conservation finance, ecological restoration and community participation. Its geographic focus remains Victoria, where it operates across all ten catchment regions and seeks to make private land conservation a durable part of the state’s environmental protection system.

• 2026

  Covenant-holder small-grants program launched

  [1]Trust for Natureen.wikipedia.org

  A statewide small-grants program was launched to assist landholders whose properties are protected by Trust for Nature conservation covenants.

• 2024

  Land-tax treatment changed for covenant properties

  [1]Trust for Natureen.wikipedia.org

  From 1 January 2024, land protected by a Trust for Nature conservation covenant became exempt from Victorian land tax.

• 1978

  Conservation covenant mechanism developed

  [1]Trust for Natureen.wikipedia.org

  Trust for Nature developed conservation covenants as a legal tool for protecting native plants and wildlife on privately owned land in perpetuity.

• 1972

  Trust for Nature established under Victorian legislation

  [1]Trust for Natureen.wikipedia.org

  The organisation was created under the Victorian Conservation Trust Act 1972 to enable permanent nature-conservation contributions through land and monetary donations.

A long-term private land conservation institution for Victoria, combining legally binding conservation covenants, landholder stewardship, direct land ownership, ecological restoration and conservation-finance partnerships.

• Private land conservation · 1978

  Conservation covenants

  A conservation covenant is a legally binding agreement placed on a property title to protect native vegetation, habitat and wildlife values permanently. The land remains privately owned, but current and future owners are bound by the conservation requirements. Trust for Nature developed this mechanism in 1978, and it is supported by Victorian legislation. More than 1,800 covenants are reported to protect over 82,000 hectares of private land.

• Land-management support

  Stewardship program

  The stewardship program provides information, advice and land-management support to owners of properties protected by conservation covenants. Its purpose is to help landholders maintain and improve native vegetation and habitat over the long term. The program complements the legal protection of a covenant with practical guidance and continuing engagement.

• Conservation property finance

  Revolving Fund

  The Revolving Fund purchases properties with high conservation value, places a conservation covenant on them and then sells them to new owners. Sale proceeds return to the fund, creating capital for subsequent acquisitions. The model allows Trust for Nature to protect important private properties without retaining every property in its own ownership. More than 55 properties have reportedly been purchased and conserved through the fund.

• Direct land conservation

  Conservation reserves

  Trust for Nature owns and manages conservation properties across Victoria, including land donated by private landholders and land acquired for its conservation values. These properties are managed with assistance from staff and volunteers and may support open days, education and demonstration of conservation practices. The organisation reports managing more than 40 properties covering over 36,000 hectares.

• Environmental market services

  Nature Markets

  Trust for Nature administers native vegetation offset agreements between private landowners and proponents with offset obligations. Participating landowners receive payments to improve native vegetation quality, while conservation commitments are secured through appropriate protection arrangements. This service links private land stewardship with environmental compliance and conservation finance.

• Landscape restoration partnership

  Bushbank

  Bushbank is a large-scale restoration program being undertaken with Cassinia Environmental and funded by the Victorian Government. The program is described as restoring more than 20,000 hectares, creating biodiverse habitat and capturing carbon. Trust for Nature’s contribution includes using conservation covenants to permanently protect and steward land restored through the initiative.

• 2026Covenant-holder small-grants program

  Victoria, Australia

  Trust for Nature launched a statewide grants initiative dedicated to supporting landholders whose properties are protected by conservation covenants.

  Outcome. The program is intended to help covenant landholders undertake conservation and land-management work. Longer-term results are not specified.

  Source
• Bushbank

  Victoria, Australia

  Trust for Nature is collaborating with Cassinia Environmental on Bushbank, a Victorian Government-funded landscape restoration program. The initiative is described as covering more than 20,000 hectares and combining habitat restoration, biodiversity outcomes and carbon capture. Trust for Nature provides permanent protection through conservation covenants.

  Outcome. The stated intended outcome is long-term protection and stewardship of restored Victorian landscapes, although a final completed outcome is not specified in the supplied material.

  Source

• 2026

  Launch of statewide covenant-holder grantsOther

  Background

  Landholders with conservation covenants may require financial support for ongoing management and restoration.

  Action taken

  Trust for Nature launched a statewide small-grants program exclusively for landholders with conservation covenants.

  Aftermath

  The program expanded the organisation’s practical stewardship support, although results are not yet specified in the supplied material.

  Source

• 1978

  Adoption of conservation covenants as a permanent protection toolStrategy

  Background

  Trust for Nature needed a mechanism that could protect native vegetation and wildlife on privately owned land beyond changes in ownership.

  Action taken

  The organisation developed conservation covenants that attach conservation obligations to the property title in perpetuity.

  Aftermath

  Conservation covenants became the organisation’s central private land conservation instrument and have been used to protect more than 82,000 hectares.

  Source

• Expansion of the Revolving Fund modelStrategy

  Background

  High-value conservation properties may require protection even when permanent ownership by the organisation is not necessary.

  Action taken

  Trust for Nature purchases suitable properties, protects them with covenants and resells them, returning proceeds to the Revolving Fund.

  Aftermath

  More than 55 properties have reportedly been purchased and preserved through this recycling of conservation capital.

  Source

• Participation in conservation markets and landscape restorationStrategy

  Background

  Private land conservation can be supported by environmental offsets, restoration finance and carbon-related investment.

  Action taken

  Trust for Nature began administering native vegetation offset agreements and partnered with Cassinia Environmental on the Bushbank restoration program.

  Aftermath

  The model connects payments for ecological improvement with permanent conservation protection, including covenants applied to restored land.

  Bushbank program funding. $77 million

  Source

1. 1Trust for Natureen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Trust for Nature official websitetrustfornature.org.au