How to covenant your special area

To protect a special area on your property, these steps are typically needed to gain a QEII open space covenant.

Enquiry
Ask your region's QEII regional representative to visit your property.

Evaluation
The QEII regional representative will evaluate your special area against a wide range of criteria including ecological and biodiversity value, naturalness, existing or potential value as an ecological corridor, wildlife, geological features, landscape values, cultural and heritage values, and sustainability.

There will also be practical considerations including management needs, threats to site values, your motivation and potential sources of funding.

Approval
The QEII Trust Board will consider the evaluation, and approve the covenant if it meets the criteria. You will then be asked to sign a covenant agreement. View Covenant Document Template for typical content (PDF 60KB)

Fencing
If required, the covenant area will have to be fenced next. Fencing your covenant provides some guidance on the fencing options available.

Survey
An accurate survey plan or aerial photodiagram of the covenant area will be prepared, which you will need to check and sign.

Registration
The covenant will then be formally registered on the title to your land with Land Information New Zealand. QEII will lodge all the necessary documentation.

Regenerating forest covenant in Moutere

 

Left: At the end of Moutere Inlet on the Tasman Coastal HIghway, the 0.6ha Potters Bush QEII covenant protects regenerating lowland
forest.

 

 

 

Funding assistance

QEII pays for the survey costs in most instances. You may also be eligible for other funding assistance, including:

  • Fencing Costs
  • Weed and Pest Control
  • Rates Relief (PDF 48KB)
  • Restoration Planting.

Your QEII regional representative will be able to advise you about possible sources of funding.

Find out about covenants throughout New Zealand ....

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