The Sustainable Land Management Rebate Scheme (Rebate Scheme) is an incentive program which is designed to support and encourage responsible land management on private properties.

Our Sustainable Land Management Rebate Scheme is an incentive to carry out and/or maintain land management works that will:

• improve the quality of land and water resources
• maintain or enhance local biodiversity
• address land degradation issues such as weeds, pest animals and erosion

What does the Rebate Scheme offer?

The Rebate Scheme provides eligible landowners with an incentive in the form of a rate rebate to undertake and/or maintain land management works that will improve the quality of land and water resources, maintain or enhance local biodiversity, and address land degradation issues.

The level of rate rebate is determined by property size: 

• For properties 50 hectares (approximately 124 acres) or greater in size, the rebate is 30% of the General Rate / Farm Rate payable on the property. 
• For properties 8 hectares (approximately 20 acres) or greater but less than 50 hectares in size, the rebate is 20% of the General Rate / Farm Rate payable on the property.

Eligible weed control techniques: 

• Chemical Control 
• Slashing 
• Mulching 
• Chipping 
• Ploughing 
• Burning 
• Improved pasture/ paddock management strategies, e.g. rotational/ cell/ strip grazing, in conjunction with pasture replacement / improvement strategies. 
• Replacement strategies, e.g. re-sowing pastures, cropping, revegetation. Re-sowing may only be selected if pastures are degraded and actions are directly related to longterm weed control. 
• Soil fertility improvement, e.g. liming, application of fertiliser / soil conditioners.

To be eligible, your property must be:

• At least 50 per cent of your property's area must be in a Green Wedge, Rural Conservation or Green Wedge A Zone. Properties partly within any of these zones are only eligible when the area of the property within the zone is 8 hectares or greater, and when the zone covers the majority of the property. Find out which zone you are in through the Land Channel's online map or call us on 9217 2323.
• 8 hectares or greater in size, or be a collection of land parcels at least equal to the minimum size, which are in one ownership and next to each other.
• Operated for commercial primary production (for example, registered primary producers), or managed as hobby/lifestyle farms or for environmental purposes (for example, bush blocks).

• Phone: 9217 2471
• Email: mark.williams@whittlesea.vic.gov.au