Agency names

Officially known as: Land Conservation Council
Background

The Land Conservation Council was established in 1971 to replace the Land Utilisation Advisory Council, formed in 1950, at the same time as the Soil Conservation Authority (VA 1056). The Land Utilisation Advisory Council's functions were to define catchment areas and advise the Minister and the Soil Conservation Authority on land use in any catchment area. In 1966 the Land Utilisation Advisory Council was charged with recommending the best uses of Crown lands in Victoria. There was no provision for public participation on the Council, however, and as a result of public interest in land-use management and the controversy over the future of the Little Desert, the Land Conservation Act 1970 was passed and the Land Conservation Council established to carry out investigations and make recommendations to the Minister on the balanced use of public land throughout Victoria.

Functions

conducting investigations and making recommendations to the Minister on the balanced use of public land in Victoria (public land being defined as land which is not within a city, town or borough and which is unalienated land; and includes land permanently or temporarily reserved under the Land Act, State forest, land vested in any public authority other than a municipality or sewerage authority, and land vested in the MMBW)

The Land Conservation Act 1970 requires that the recommendations made must take into account the present and future needs of the people of Victoria in relation to :

preservation of ecologically significant areas
conservation of areas of natural interest, beauty, or historical interest
creation and preservation of areas of reserved forests, areas for leisure and recreation and reserves for fish and wildlife
preservation of species of native plants
land required by government departments and public authorities in order to carry out their functions

In conducting investigations and making recommendations to the Minister on the use of public land, the Council undertakes the following steps:

Publication of notice of the Council's intention to commence an investigation in an area in the Government Gazette and local and state newspapers.
Preparation of a factual descriptive report by officers of the Council providing a basis for public submissions.
Invitation to individuals and interested bodies to make written submissions on the balanced use of the public land in question within 60 or 90 days after publication of the report.
Consideration by Council of the report and all submissions.
Drafting of set of proposed recommendations.
Publication of proposed recommendations.
Consideration of submissions sent in response to publication of draft recommendations followed by final recommendations to the Minister.
Tabling of final recommendation in both houses of Parliament.

The Minister may then notify government agencies affected by the recommendations of her/his intention to accept the recommendations. At least 14 days after this notification the Governor-in-Council may direct government bodies to implement those recommendations that affect land for which they have management responsibility.

In many cases the implementation of public land use recommendations require the formal reservation of land. Delays between adoption of recommendations by Government and their legal implementation can occur, in many cases the land is managed as if it were reserved for the purposes specified in the approved recommendation

The Council also undertakes other investigations and research into public land use and related issues at the request of the Minister.

Location of Records

There are no records of the Land Conservation Council in the custody of the Public Record Office.
Jurisdiction: Victoria