QEII National Trust Covenant: Who Qualifies and What You Get
Learn how farmers can protect native bush or wetlands while receiving rates relief through a permanent land covenant.
This scheme allows landowners to place a legal agreement on their property to ensure specific areas of nature are protected forever.
Who it's for
This program is specifically designed for farmers who want to preserve the natural state of their land. If you own land that contains native bush or wetlands and you wish to ensure these specific areas remain intact for future generations, you may qualify to participate in the covenant.
What you get
The primary benefit is the permanent protection of your land's most sensitive natural features, such as bush or wetlands. This ensures that these areas are shielded from future development or land-use changes. In addition to this environmental security, landowners may also receive rates relief, which provides a financial benefit by reducing the local rates applied to the protected portions of the property.
What it costs you
While the scheme provides environmental and potential financial benefits, it is not entirely free to set up. You will be responsible for covering the legal costs associated with the covenanting process. This involves the formal legal steps required to establish the agreement and ensure it is correctly recorded.
The catch to know
The most important thing to understand is that these covenants are permanent. Once a covenant is established, it is legally binding and stays with the land title indefinitely. This means the protection remains in place even if the property changes ownership, meaning any future owners must also follow the rules of the covenant.
How to apply
- Identify the specific areas of native bush or wetlands on your property that you wish to protect.
- Review the requirements for the type of land you intend to covenant.
- Contact the trust to discuss the specifics of your land and the protection process.
- Manage the legal steps required to finalize the covenant on your property title.
- Visit the official portal for more information: https://qeiinationaltrust.org.nz