Native Vegetation Credit Register
Registering native vegetation credits
Information sheet number 2
A landholder can generate native vegetation credits by
committing to manage remnant vegetation or undertake
revegetation on their property. A management plan outlines
the management actions to be undertaken. The
management plan forms part of an agreement registered
on-title.
A landholder may also generate native vegetation credits
by transferring freehold land to the Crown. Not all land
parcels are suitable for transfer. To determine whether a
parcel of land would be eligible for addition to the Crown’s
parks and reserve system you should contact the
Department of Environment and Primary Industries (DEPI).
Native vegetation credits are formally recognised once they
are registered on the Native Vegetation Credit Register
(NVCR).
Which agreements can be used to secure
credit sites?
Credits can be secured using agreements made under
section 69 of the Conservation Forests and Lands Act
1987, prepared and administered by DEPI or conservation
covenants under Victorian Conservation Trust Act 1972,
prepared and administered by Trust for Nature (TfN).
Under the NVCR section 69 agreements and conservation
covenants are collectively known as ‘security agreements’.
How are credits registered?
The process for registering credits from securing and
managing a suitable site on freehold land is outlined below.
It includes the following steps:
1.
Management plan and security agreement prepared
2.
Documentation provided to NVCR
3.
Security agreement registered on land title
4.
NVCR updated and credit statements issued
Management plan and security agreement prepared
In order for a management plan to be prepared, a site
assessment of the proposed credit site must be
undertaken. The site assessor will record the type of
proposed credit, the current condition of the vegetation, its
conservation significance and the appropriate management
actions for the site. The site assessor will also produce a
map of the vegetation on the proposed credit site.
Using the information from the site assessment, a
vegetation assessor will develop a management plan
based on commitments agreed to by the landholder. There
are two types of commitments. The first are active
management commitments which the landholder will be
required to complete over a ten year period. The second
are the on-going land-use and maintenance commitments
that must be met in perpetuity.
The vegetation assessor calculates the amount of gain
generated from the management commitments.
DEPI or TfN will prepare the security agreement. The
management plan is included in a schedule to the security
agreement.
Documentation provided to NVCR
The management plan, gain scoring and security
agreement must be provided to the NVCR. The NVCR will
undertake quality assurance checks and endorse the
documentation when it meets the NVCR standards.
Security agreement registered on-title
Following endorsement by the Registrar, the security
agreement (including the management plan) is executed by
the landholder and the organisation administering the
agreement (DEPI or TfN).
The organisation administering the security agreement then
arranges for it to be registered on the land title. Registering
the agreement on-title binds the current landholder and any
future landholders to the completion of the ten-year
management plan and the on-going site use and
maintenance commitments.
Registering native vegetation credits
Security agreement registered on-title
Following endorsement by the Native Vegetation Credit
Registrar, the security agreement (including the
management plan) is executed by the landholder and the
organisation administering the agreement (DEPI or TfN).
Further information
For further information on native vegetation, please contact
the Department of Environment and Primary Industries
(DEPI) Customer Service Centre on 136 186 or visit the
DEPI website at: www.depi.vic.gov.au/nativevegetation
The organisation administering the security agreement then
arranges for it to be registered on the land title. Registering
the agreement on-title binds the current landholder and any
future landholders to the completion of the ten-year
management plan and the on-going site use and
maintenance commitments.
NVCR updated and credit statements issued
Once a copy of the signed security agreement (including
the management plan), maps of the credit sites and
application for registration form is submitted to the Native
Vegetation Credit Registrar, credits will be registered on
the NVCR in the name of the landholder.
The Registrar will send a credit statement to the landholder
showing the credits recorded in their name. The credit
owner can then trade the credits to a company or individual
or allocate the credits to meet their offset requirements.
For more information about trading native vegetation
credits please refer to Native Vegetation Credit Register
Information Sheet 3.
For more information about allocating native vegetation
credits please refer to Native Vegetation Credit Register
Information Sheet 4.
Published by the Victorian Government Department of Environment and Primary
Industries Melbourne, October 2013
© The State of Victoria Department of Environment and Primary Industries
Melbourne 2013
This publication is copyright. No part may be reproduced by any process except
in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968.
Accessibility
If you would like to receive this publication in an alternative format,
please telephone DEPI Customer Service Centre 136 186, email
customer.service@depi.vic.gov.au (or relevant address), via the National
Relay Service on 133 677 www.relayservice.com.au This document is
also available in on the internet at www.depi.vic.gov.au
Disclaimer
ISBN 978-1-74287-518-7 (online)
www.depi.vic.gov.au
This publication may be of assistance to you but the State of Victoria and its
employees do not guarantee that the publication is without flaw of any kind
or is wholly appropriate for your particular purposes and therefore disclaims
all liability for any error, loss or other consequence which may arise from you
relying on any information in this publication.