Protecting vegetation with a Heritage Agreement

Since Heritage Agreements were first introduced in 1980, over 1,700 agreements have been established that cover over 1 million hectares of vegetation in South Australia.

Vegetation protected by Heritage Agreements plays an important role in conserving biodiversity and can form part of a wildlife corridor, an extension to national or conservation parks, or a private sanctuary.

View where Heritage Agreements are located on NatureMaps.

This page will help you to understand:

• What is a Native Vegetation Heritage Agreement?
• Benefits and incentives
• Is your site eligible?
• Establishment cost
• Heritage Agreement quick application

What is a Native Vegetation Heritage Agreement?

A Native Vegetation Heritage Agreement (NVHA) is an agreement between a landholder and the Minister for Climate, Environment and Water on recommendation of the Native Vegetation Council to protect native plants and animals on their property in perpetuity.

A Heritage Agreement is recorded on the land title and remains on the land even if the land is sold.

For more information on Heritage Agreements, see the Heritage Agreement Frequently Asked Questions and Heritage Agreement Policy documents.

Benefits and incentives

The biggest benefit of a Heritage Agreement is that it protects native vegetation on your property in perpetuity against threats. For example, the agreement restricts most activities that damage native flora and fauna, in particular clearance of native vegetation.

Heritage Agreement owners may at times be eligible for technical and financial support to enhance biodiversity within the site. There may also be support for landholders wanting to enter into a new Heritage Agreement, or to expand an existing one. Find out more about the Funding and Support available. Once a Heritage Agreement is established, there is also potential for a reduction in rates and taxes. Refer to the Heritage Agreement Frequently Asked Questions for further information.

Is your site eligible?

If you answer yes to the following questions, your site is likely to be eligible to be protected with a Heritage Agreement:

1. Is the size of the site:
   1. 3 ha or more in size, with common native vegetation, or
   2. 1 ha or more in size, with records of threatened plants or animals
2. Does the tenure of your property allow for a Heritage Agreement e.g. freehold?
3. Are you sure that you would like to enter into an agreement to permanently protect your native flora and fauna?

Establishment cost

The Native Vegetation Council will meet the costs associated with drafting and registering voluntary Heritage Agreements.

Heritage Agreement quick application

The Native Vegetation Council welcomes landowners to join the NVHA program to protect important native vegetation for the future.

If you would like to proceed, submit a quick application online (below). We will assess your site's eligibility for a Heritage Agreement and will notify you if you have received pre-approval or if further information is needed.

Contact us

To find out more about Heritage Agreements and to discuss a site of interest, please contact the Native Vegetation Branch at nvc.haprogram@sa.gov.au or phone 8303 9777.