Great Eastern Ranges

Covenant Helps Manage Border Ranges Property

Getting Involved

On Christmas Eve 1993 Richard and Stephanie Hughes bought an 11 hectare property in the Border Ranges region of the Great Eastern Ranges. The purchase fulfilled a long-held dream to live in an old-growth forest.

The property had been a Banana farm, and although it retained patches of original rainforest, weeds and Lantana had overrun much of the land. That led the husband and wife team on a long-term commitment to restore the property’s original biodiversity. 

In 2006 they contacted the Nature Conservation Trust of New South Wales about getting a conservation covenant on a piece of intact bushland. Covenants are Trust Agreements that protect the environmental integrity and biodiversity of a property. As they are registered on a property's title they legally bind a landowner to protect their land forever.

A key step when the Nature Conservation Trust begins the covenant process is an environmental audit of a property. One reason Richard and Stephanie wanted a covenant was to understand exactly what was on their land. As Richard explains 'it is best to know what your property has before you set up plans to manage it'.

Work on the covenant revealed the property’s rich biodiversity.

The Nature Conservation Trust took on board issues Richard and Stephanie believed were important, including allowing the milling of naturally fallen timber, providing the environment was not disturbed.

The couple now use the covenant to:

• protect their most environmentally-significantly land from future development, whether they remain or leave the property
• educate neighbours about the unique biodiversity of the local area and why it needs protection.   

'We share our experiences with the covenant with our neighbours and point out the positives that come from it', said Richard. 'We encourage them to do something similar because people who own land have a role in protecting the environment.'

Recently the couple planted 550 cabinet timber trees on a 0.5 hectare parcel of land. The planting is a personal commitment to reducing carbon emissions in the face of climate change. It also means they can seek classification as primary producers and earn tax credits through the Australian Government’s carbon credit scheme.

'The new planting can help us and the environment at the same time.'
 
Richard says because of the family’s love affair with the Border Ranges their conservation work will continue, and animals and plants on their property will enjoy the same protections as those in nearby National Parks.