Native Vegetation Heritage Agreements
The Native Vegetation Heritage Agreement is an area on private land dedicated to conserving and restoring indigenous biodiversity. It is established through an agreement between the landowner and the Minister for Climate, Environment, and Water, based on a recommendation from the Native Vegetation Council (NVC). This agreement helps protect and restore native biodiversity.
Landowners receive support to take care of their properties, which is crucial for building resilience to climate change. For more details, you can visit Heritage Agreements through the Department for Environment and Water.
The Barossa Council has three sites included under the Native Vegetation Heritage Agreement Scheme:
- Altona CSR Landcare Reserve
- Tanunda Callitris Woodland
- Jutland Water Reserve
Altona CSR Landcare Reserve
In 2005 the Altona CSR Landcare Reserve was nominated for heritage listing. Volunteers from the Williamstown and Lyndoch Landcare Group have spent over 20 years working hard to manage the site for conservation. The site contains several walking trails to explore the reserve.
Tanunda Callitris Woodland
The Native Vegetation Council (NVC) granted this Council Reserve Heritage listing in 1999. This site comprises 106 native species of which eight have a conservation rating for the region.
At present, Trees for Life (Bush for Life) volunteer teams manage the site and this is supported by The Barossa Council Environmental Services team. The Tanunda Callitris Woodland Management Plan outlines Council's actions and on ground collaboration with the Trees for Life BFL team to improve biodiversity at the site. The Tanunda Urban Forest Project buffers the core Native Pine woodland and enables the local schools and wider community to view the landscape through a climate lens, thereby promoting the local cooling effect of greenspace and woody vegetation.
Jutland Water Reserve
The Jutland Water Reserve forms part of the Marne/Sanders River catchment and covers an area of 4.3ha. This small parcel has several regionally threatened plant species and one with a state conservation rating. The grassy woodland provides critical habitat for native fish, several species of amphibians, the EPBC listed and State rated (Vulnerable) listed Diamond Firetail Finch and other declining woodland birds including the Rainbow Bee-eater and the Brown Tree Creeper.