Land for Wildlife is a free, voluntary and inclusive program that supports landholders of all property types in protecting and enhancing native habitat. Members receive expert advice, educational resources and recognition through a Land for Wildlife sign. 

The Land for Wildlife community make a significant contribution to native biodiversity conservation. They are actively involved in protecting and restoring habitat on their own land. Approximately 5,000 properties (comprising 536,000 ha of private land) are currently registered across the state. 

Land for Wildlife is an inclusive program for properties in Victoria with native habitat. Farms, bush blocks, parks, school grounds, golf-courses, municipal reserves, cemeteries, scout and youth camps, tourist enterprises, Commonwealth land, prisons, industrial land; small and large properties, are all eligible. 

To be registered with Land for Wildlife, the following eligibility requirements must be met: 

• be more than 1 hectare or 2.47 acres in size 
• have more than 10% native vegetation as wildlife habitat

Optional criteria also includes: 

• be connected to a natural wildlife corridor, and 
• be located outside of urban developed areas, or away from areas with high density residential, commercial, or road infrastructure.

Landholders will need to demonstrate how they will manage the property for nature conservation or how they plan to integrate nature conservation with land management objectives. The Land for Wildlife status of the property will be retained so long as nature conservation objectives are upheld. 

If the property changes ownership, then the new owners need to re-apply. 

To register for Land for Wildlife, click here.  

There are no fees to register your property for the Land for Wildlife program. If you would like to support private land conservation in Victoria, including the Land for Wildlife program, you can donate to Trust for Nature here. 

In October 2025, the Victorian Government announced that the state’s iconic Land for Wildlife program would be transferred to Trust for Nature. Trust for Nature is a leader in private land conservation partnerships for Victoria, and our extensive skills, experience and resources make us well-placed to support more Victorian landholders to undertake private land conservation activities under Land for Wildlife (LFW). Trust for Nature has worked in partnership with over 1,700 private landholders to permanently protect over 119,000 hectares of ecologically significant habitat on private land in Victoria. 

An $800,000 Victorian Government investment over 4-years will enable Trust for Nature to provide the best available support to Land for Wildlife members and boost membership, by incorporating the program into its current outreach activities with private landholders who are interested in protecting native biodiversity. 

In order to strengthen the Land for Wildlife program, Trust for Nature will seek philanthropic and corporate partnerships. If you would like to explore opportunities for partnership with Trust for Nature, please contact fundraising@tfn.org.au or call 1800 99 99 33. 

Land for Wildlife members will get even more support to protect wildlife habitat on their properties through the transfer, by getting access to Trust for Nature expertise and educational resources to help landowners identify, protect and enhance habitat for native plants and animals on their properties.  

Trust for Nature kindly requests existing Land for Wildlife members to re-register your property. This is to help ensure we have your most up-to-date contact details on file, so we can contact you if needed.  

Trust for Nature offers a wide support network and regular newsletter to keep members updated about the latest conservation news. The charity has already helped create over 1,700 conservation covenants and protect over 119,000 hectares of land across Victoria. 

Yes please—we’re asking all existing Land for Wildlife members to re-register their properties. Even if your contact details haven’t changed, re-registering helps us ensure we have the most up-to-date information about your property, including remnant vegetation, threatened species, and habitat features. This supports our conservation efforts and will help us to create more valuable resources for Land for Wildlife members. 

You can re-register your property here. 

If you’re already a Land for Wildlife member and have your sign, there’s no change—you can continue to display it proudly. 

For new members, our team will arrange for a Land for Wildlife sign once the application has been reviewed and approved. 

No, properties registered with Land for Wildlife won’t automatically become a conservation covenant. But, Land for Wildlife members will now be part of the Trust for Nature community and get access to our strong support network.  

Land for Wildlife is a voluntary, non-binding program that shows your commitment to protecting habitat, but it doesn’t offer permanent legal protection.  

Conservation covenants, on the other hand, are legally binding agreements under the Victorian Conservation Trust Act 1972. They permanently protect native habitat—even if the property is sold—and restrict damaging activities. 

 Land for Wildlife is an amazing first step to demonstrate commitment to protecting native wildlife, and you are welcome to take a step further with a conservation covenant if your property meets the criteria.  

Both Land for Wildlife and conservation covenants are incredible gestures to demonstrate your commitment to protecting habitat on your property. Land for Wildlife is not legally binding, and does not alter the legal status of the property in any way, so it does not offer permanent protection from potential habitat destruction or damage in the future.  

Conservation covenants permanently protect and conserve habitat on private land. They restrict activities that may damage native habitat on the land, such as clearing, intensive farming or subdivision.  Conservation covenants are entered into under the Victorian Conservation Trust Act 1972 and registered on title, making them legally binding forever – even when the property is sold or passed on to new owners. Landholders with conservation covenants will also have access to ongoing support through Trust for Nature’s Stewardship Program.  

To learn more about conservation covenants, click here.  

Covenanting has specific requirements, including property size, ecological significance, configuration, and condition. You can find more detailed information about these requirements here.

Land for Wildlife is open to a wider range of properties in Victoria that support native habitat. To be eligible for Land for Wildlife, properties must be at least 1 hectare (2.47 acres) and have at least 10% native vegetation. 

Yes! Many landholders with conservation covenants are already members of the Land for Wildlife program. To register to become a Land for Wildlife member, click here.  

Trust for Nature is developing a library of resources for landholders who are caring for habitat on their properties. You can find some resources here, and there will be more in development over the coming months. 

Members of the Land for Wildlife program will also receive invitations to Trust for Nature events and get togethers, where you can learn from other Land for Wildlife members, covenantors and experts on land management.  

If you want to receive updates on these opportunities, please ensure that you have registered your property and opted in to receive news and updates from Trust for Nature.