Conservation Programs

Take part in council’s conservation programs to assist in protecting the Sunshine Coast’s beautiful natural environment.

View or download bush hands, council's conservation newsletter. Each quarterly issue provides an update on community conservation issues, upcoming events, provides plant, animal and weed profiles and land management advice.

Conservation volunteers

Residents who care about the bush and native wildlife are invited to join council’s Community Conservation Program. The program is designed to restore native habitat in the region’s parks, bushland and dunal reserves, with the assistance of local residents and community groups. Participate in regular working bees (Maroochy area [PDF 97KB], Noosa area [PDF 69KB], Caloundra area [PDF 21KB]) or call council's customer service centre to start a group in your area.

As a community conservation volunteer, you might:

plant trees along wildlife corridors
restore degraded environments
monitor the quality of your local creek
stabilise and restore neglected coastal dunes
survey or photograph wildlife
educate the community
participate in environmental displays and events
attend volunteer workshops (advertised in council's newsletter bush hands).

Conservation Partnerships

Conservation Partnerships can help protect your privately owned bushland and native animal habitat. The Conservation Partnership Program consists of Voluntary Conservation Agreements and Land for Wildlife - two flexible programs that can be tailored to your property and your lifestyle.

Land for Wildlife

Land for Wildlife is a free, voluntary conservation program that supports participants in protecting, enhancing and rehabilitating native flora and fauna on their property. The Land for Wildlife program offers free land management advice, workshops, field days, regular newsletters and opportunities to meet other like-minded landholders.

Benefits and assistance to Land for Wildlife participants include:

free onsite land management advice tailored to your property
property revisits and ongoing property-specific advice
free workshops and field days
access to technical advice and resources, including environment grants and other incentives
opportunities to network with like-minded landholders
free Land for Wildlife sign acknowledging the commitment made to nature conservation
free use of council’s community propagation facility.

Land for Wildlife Brochure and Application Form [PDF 582KB]

Voluntary Conservation Agreements

The Voluntary Conservation Agreement program supports private landholders by protecting the bushland on their properties in perpetuity, with the option of legally binding the agreement. Voluntary Conservation Agreement support and incentives may include:

financial contributions towards on-ground management costs
free property management information
a management plan
local field days and workshops
regular newsletters.

Voluntary Conservation Agreement property owners may also access further support by joining the Land for Wildlife program. Eligible properties for a Voluntary Conservation Agreement include those that have:

areas of high conservation status bushland
threatened or significant plants and animals present
environmental significance due to features such as habitat connectivity and water quality protection.

Environment Grants

Council's grants program is an opportunity to give funding and recognition to individuals, community groups and organisations that play an important part in helping develop the region’s environmental sustainability, community wellbeing, economic prosperity and cultural life.

Vegetation Protection Covenants

A Vegetation Protection Covenant is a statutory agreement between a landowner and council that protects vegetation on private land. It is registered on the property title and binds all future owners to the boundaries and conditions of the covenant.
Vegetation Protection Covenants may be initiated voluntarily by a landowner or they may be placed on properties through the development assessment process.

Vegetation Protection Orders

Landowners may request that their property be included in the Vegetation Preservation Area (VPA) under council's local laws. This is a voluntary process and does not cost the applicant anything.

To be eligible, the property must contain significant vegetation as determined by council’s local laws. For example, the land should contain rare and threatened species, critical habitat or have historic or local significance.

For further information on any of council's conservation programs, call council's customer service centre.