History
The tiny village of Elands (pop. 53) is an isolated community situated at 2,000' (630m) on the edge of the Bulga Plateau. With views of the coastal plain and the Pacific Ocean, Elands lies on the eastern fall of the great dividing range astride the watershed of the Hastings and Manning river catchments on the mid north coast of New South Wales.
In I988 the community learned that 375 ha of steep, hardwood forest and rainforest, immediately below the village, much of it relatively undisturbed, was to be put up for auction. It was understood that the property could be of interest to the logging industry.
At the time the Greater Taree City Council (GTCC) had assessed the property as having several sites of ecological significance, containing fine example of wet sclerophyll forest with at least two different associations not well conserved in the region. GTCC noted that the property encompasses interesting samples of warm temperate rainforest and provides habitat for rare and uncommon species.
Members the Elands community, concerned about global warming and habitat and species loss, decided to ?hink globally and act locallyby attempting to have property protected for conservation. Approaches were promptly made to several government departments. Despite acknowledging the significance of the land they were unable to help. It soon became clear that the purchase of the land might be the only way to ensure it's protection.
It was realised that there was a possibility of purchasing the property, subdividing and selling some small building blocks to recover the purchase price, whilst establishing the remainder of the property as a Conservation Reserve. The property had several road frontages in the Elands village, bordered by established residences which made it ideal for such a ?onservation development.
A group wrote to the GTCC seeking Council approval, in principle, for the subdivision of nine small building blocks along the north east corner of the property in the village of Elands, subject to the remainder of the property being established as a conservation area.
Approval, in principle, but subject to a full Development Application and further consent from the Department of Planning, was received just prior to the auction. At this time it was unknown what the costs associated with the development would be. Nevertheless the eighteen participants in the group agreed to each loan $5,000 towards the estimated auction reserve price of $90,000. The understanding being that these loans would be repaid from the sale of the subdivisions, if and when these should occur. Additionally, those who had agreed to make their loan prior to the auction date, would receive first refusal on the sale of any subdivisions.
The group successfully acquired the property at auction on 23rd November 1988 for $89,000. The only competitive bid was from logging interests.
Approval was subsequently received from the GTCC in early 1989 for the subdivision of nine blocks, subject to the residue (372 Ha) of the property being retained as a conservation area, or the like, in a form acceptable to Council. Development costs associated with the subdivision approval were close to $70,000 and included roadworks, bitumen sealing, electricity supply and survey costs.
The group incorporated as The Oxygen Farm Association in August 1989 with membership open to the public for a fee of $50 and a $25 annual subscription. The group intended to transfer the title of the property, together with any profit to The Oxygen Farm Association upon completion of the sale of the subdivisions and after repayment of the loans,
All subdivisions were sold by February 1992. Following repayment of the loans, payment of interest and all other expenses incurred in the project a small surplus of $8,000 remained. This amount was transferred to the Oxygen Farm Association which also took possession of the land and named it the Oxygen Farm Conservation Reserve..
To protect the values of the Oxygen Farm Conservation Reserve it has been declared a flora and fauna reserve under a local council Instrument. Further subdivision of the property or its use for anything other than a flora and fauna reserve is prohibited. In order to preserve the integrity of the land additional caveats were attached to the titles of the subdivisions prior to their sale which prohibit the use of any poisons, control the destruction of any trees and restrict building heights.
In I988 the community learned that 375 ha of steep, hardwood forest and rainforest, immediately below the village, much of it relatively undisturbed, was to be put up for auction. It was understood that the property could be of interest to the logging industry.
At the time the Greater Taree City Council (GTCC) had assessed the property as having several sites of ecological significance, containing fine example of wet sclerophyll forest with at least two different associations not well conserved in the region. GTCC noted that the property encompasses interesting samples of warm temperate rainforest and provides habitat for rare and uncommon species.
Members the Elands community, concerned about global warming and habitat and species loss, decided to ?hink globally and act locallyby attempting to have property protected for conservation. Approaches were promptly made to several government departments. Despite acknowledging the significance of the land they were unable to help. It soon became clear that the purchase of the land might be the only way to ensure it's protection.
It was realised that there was a possibility of purchasing the property, subdividing and selling some small building blocks to recover the purchase price, whilst establishing the remainder of the property as a Conservation Reserve. The property had several road frontages in the Elands village, bordered by established residences which made it ideal for such a ?onservation development.
A group wrote to the GTCC seeking Council approval, in principle, for the subdivision of nine small building blocks along the north east corner of the property in the village of Elands, subject to the remainder of the property being established as a conservation area.
Approval, in principle, but subject to a full Development Application and further consent from the Department of Planning, was received just prior to the auction. At this time it was unknown what the costs associated with the development would be. Nevertheless the eighteen participants in the group agreed to each loan $5,000 towards the estimated auction reserve price of $90,000. The understanding being that these loans would be repaid from the sale of the subdivisions, if and when these should occur. Additionally, those who had agreed to make their loan prior to the auction date, would receive first refusal on the sale of any subdivisions.
The group successfully acquired the property at auction on 23rd November 1988 for $89,000. The only competitive bid was from logging interests.
Approval was subsequently received from the GTCC in early 1989 for the subdivision of nine blocks, subject to the residue (372 Ha) of the property being retained as a conservation area, or the like, in a form acceptable to Council. Development costs associated with the subdivision approval were close to $70,000 and included roadworks, bitumen sealing, electricity supply and survey costs.
The group incorporated as The Oxygen Farm Association in August 1989 with membership open to the public for a fee of $50 and a $25 annual subscription. The group intended to transfer the title of the property, together with any profit to The Oxygen Farm Association upon completion of the sale of the subdivisions and after repayment of the loans,
All subdivisions were sold by February 1992. Following repayment of the loans, payment of interest and all other expenses incurred in the project a small surplus of $8,000 remained. This amount was transferred to the Oxygen Farm Association which also took possession of the land and named it the Oxygen Farm Conservation Reserve..
To protect the values of the Oxygen Farm Conservation Reserve it has been declared a flora and fauna reserve under a local council Instrument. Further subdivision of the property or its use for anything other than a flora and fauna reserve is prohibited. In order to preserve the integrity of the land additional caveats were attached to the titles of the subdivisions prior to their sale which prohibit the use of any poisons, control the destruction of any trees and restrict building heights.
