Conservation Management Program

The BCT’s Conservation Management Program (CMP) is aimed at encouraging and supporting private landholders, in ‘priority investment areas’ or with ‘conservation assets’ on their property, to participate in conservation. 

Priority investment areas and conservation assets are identified in the Biodiversity Conservation Investment Strategy (BCIS) developed by the Environment Minister.

More information about how the BCT’s investment is guided by the priorities, principles and targets set out in the BCIS is available here.

You can also read about future investments and how they will be implemented in the Conservation Management Program Implementation Plan (2023-2027) [.PDF 7.39 MB]

The BCT uses four mechanisms under the CMP – all voluntary – to encourage and support private land conservation in NSW: 

  1. Fixed price offers: The BCT offers a fixed price per hectare per annum in priority investment areas, targeting areas within least protected subregions that contain threatened ecological communities, habitat for threatened species or important wetlands. Landholders can express interest at any time to enter a funded, in-perpetuity conservation agreement. The BCT assesses applications on a value for money basis each year subject to investment allocation. Landholders can also apply for an essential infrastructure grant to assist with establishing a conservation area.
  2. Conservation tenders: The BCT uses conservation tenders to target conservation assets listed in the Biodiversity Conservation Investment Strategy. Each year, the BCT may call for landholders—in priority 1 to 3 investment areas or in other locations containing conservation assets—to express interest in participating in a conservation tender. Landholders can offer to enter an in-perpetuity or term (minimum 15 years) agreement.
  3. Co-investment partnerships: The BCT is interested in entering partnerships with landholders and co-investor(s) to increase the impact of BCT investment in securing large-scale, high-value private land conservation (PLC) outcomes for NSW. Landholders and co-investors interested in partnering with the BCT can express interest at any time. The BCT will assess proposals on a case-by-case basis on their merits against the BCT’s objectives and evaluation criteria.
  4. A revolving fund: The BCT maintains a revolving fund which is used to purchase properties for sale within priority investment areas or that contain conservation assets. Properties acquired will be sold with a pre-commitment to enter an in-perpetuity and funded conservation agreement at the BCT’s fixed price.

BCT Assessment Metric

The BCT has developed a peer-reviewed Assessment Metric to determine best value for money sites in Conservation Management Program tenders, fixed price offers and revolving fund acquisitions. The Assessment Metric assesses the comparative cost effectiveness of BCT’s investment in individual private land conservation agreements.

The Assessment Metric calculates of a Biodiversity Value Score for each site, which is divided by the total life cycle cost for conservation management of the site, to generate a Biodiversity Value Index to rank best value for money sites. For more information, see our Assessment Metric factsheet.

What are the benefits for landholders?

This program provides a unique opportunity for participating landholders to secure an additional revenue stream to conserve and manage native vegetation and biodiversity on their land and to diversify their income.

Landholders who enter into conservation agreements under this program receive annual conservation management payments for the term of the agreement. They also receive ongoing support from the BCT, read more about the BCT Landholder Support Program.


 

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