Council s development control role has meant that conditions have been imposed on developments requiring conservation covenants over bushland areas, fencing of bushland and establishment of revegetation. Once these works have been carried out under the statutory process, it is important that there is ongoing landholder support to manage these private conservation and rehabilitation areas. Weeds, foxes, rabbits and fire are issues often raised by landholders who need help with managing the new landscape. The Landcare Centre helps landholders in this position. These landholders often have little awareness of how to look after bushland, revegetation or even pastured areas.
Council can also provide a financial carrot to landholders to protect and manage their bushland.
This is attractive to landholders who want to do the right thing by the bush. This occurs via rezoning of the property from Rural to Conservation. Landholders with regionally significant bushland are eligible for rezoning which attracts a 50 percent reduction in rates. 1600 ha of bushland has been rezoned to Conservation over three properties in the Shire. Another site by Coherent Software Australia .