In terms of its obligations to the World Conservation Union, SA should have met a target to have 10% of its land under protection. So far, it has managed to secure only 6,6%.

With SA hosting the Fifth World Parks Congress in Durban, there is mounting pressure to meet the target, which was set at the last meeting 10 years ago.

Government believes the property tax break could provide an immediate solution as the process of acquiring the right pieces of land, mostly privately owned, for conservation expansion has proved too expensive and slow.

Over the last decade, SA has added about 500,000ha to its protected areas. The environmental and tourism department is working with the provincial and local government department on measures to exempt conservation areas from property rates under the Property Rates Bill, currently before Parliament.

The department's director-general, Crispian Olver, said on Wednesday that if private landowners exercised this option, it would help SA to realistically establish a solid base for expansion. "It will also significantly encourage private land owners to conserve biodiversity on their land and establish private conservancies."

He said the provision in the bill would provide incentives for private landowners to make a shift from farming to conservation preservation, resulting in a "massive spurt of private reserves".

While the bill offered the tax exemption, the Protected Areas Bill would give privately owned reserves legal recognition as conservation areas, which could have huge economic tourism benefits for landowners.

The Protected Areas Bill, which for the first time creates an integrated network of reserves and protected areas nationwide, explicitly encourages the conservation of private land.

The legislation builds on the experience of successful land claims in protected areas and community involvement in managing biodiversity, and brings local land owners and communities directly into the management of protected areas.

Business Day