Land Ownership Obligations

A ‘What if’ from Grow Reuse Create

Illustration by Sophie Spencer.

We love this Instagram post by @grow.reuse.create, from Warwick QLD. Grow Reuse Create is an account run by Sophie Spencer and we were inspired by her ‘what if’ regarding land ownership in Australia in the current climate crisis we face. The post reads:

“

WHAT IF?” WEDNESDAYS PRESENTS – What if land ownership came with land care obligations and regeneration incentives?

Australian land ownership doesn’t have a stewardship component.  When you buy land, you don’t have much obligation to take care of it.  There might be some conservation considerations for larger parcels of land but say for an urban residence you can largely do what you like with it.

In our rapidly changing climate, this is problematic.  The majority of humans focus only on the short term. We don’t worry about future generations.  We chop down old growth forest to plant crops. Spray weeds with Roundup.  Drain rivers to water our lawns. Meanwhile the land becomes more and more degraded.

Let’s imagine the government has decided they care about the environment! Policymakers introduce a two-tiered set of laws to be implemented at a local government level, including:

1.     A duty of care where every landholder must take reasonable care of the land by maintaining and preserving:

• Soil health

• Air quality

• Natural watercourses

• Essential habitat

• Essential ‘green space’

• Native species

• Allowing fire mitigation through cultural burning practices (where appropriate)

• Prohibiting the spraying of toxic chemicals

2.     Incentives to take on land stewardship type roles (rates discounts/food vouchers/tax incentives/income) for:

• Waste management

• Regeneration of landscape

• Restoring depleted soils

• Planting trees

• Preserving essential habitat

• Growing food

• Composting

• Rainwater harvesting

• Car sharing

• Eco/off grid homes

• Enhancing Biodiversity of wildlife and plants

What would you think of this kind of law? Would you embrace it to make some spare cash? Or would you resent the added responsibility?

Personally, I think I would feel relieved.  Perhaps also overwhelmed at how this would work in practice.  But a good incentive to learn more about caring for the land….also to get out of paying rates… lol…. Mostly though, I think I would feel relieved for future generations who are being offered more environmental security.

 What about you?

”

Discover more

Sophie Spencer’s Grow Reuse Create

→ instagram.com/grow.reuse.create

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