Conservation Partners Program FAQs

The Conservation Partners Program (CPP) offers landholders the opportunity to protect the biodiversity on their land by entering into a conservation agreement with the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust. The agreement allows landholders to apply for grants to support eligible conservation actions. 

There are two main types: our standard Conservation Agreements and Wildlife Refuges.

You can compare our CPP agreements at www.bct.nsw.gov.au/perennial. 

The minimum size for our standard conservation agreement is 20 hectares. Smaller sites may be considered if they have high conservation values.

The relevant area on your property should also meet the following requirements:

1. Contains at least one good example of the least protected ecosystems, including:
   • threatened species or their habitats
   • threatened ecological communities
   • over-cleared vegetation types
   • important wetlands 
   • old growth forests
   • rainforest or high conservation value grasslands.
2. Is in moderate or better ecological condition.
3. Is managed primarily for conservation and can contribute to landscape connectivity.

No. It’s simply an opportunity to explore further whether you are eligible to enter a conservation agreement.

A conservation agreement only becomes binding once both parties have signed the agreement, and it is executed on title. You can withdraw from the process any time prior to this. 

Yes. If your application is accepted, our local staff will work with you to prepare the agreement. Example standard conservation and wildlife refuge agreement templates are available to view at www.bct.nsw.gov.au/resources/establishing-an-agreement.  

Throughout the agreement development process, you will have opportunities to comment and ask questions on draft documents, and in preparing information to meet Land and Registry Services guidelines for registering the agreement on your land’s title.  

Landholders are recommended to actively manage the conservation area, including activities like fencing, pest and weed control, revegetation, and habitat restoration.

Importantly, a landholder must also be comfortable with long-term commitment. Our standard conservation agreements are in-perpetuity (permanent), meaning the agreement remains in place forever, even if the property is sold.

No. Not all sites are eligible or prioritised by us. Eligible sites are prioritised based on an assessment of the conservation values of the proposed agreement area. 

If, your proposed conservation area is not considered suitable for a NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust agreement, our local staff will refer you to other opportunities or conservation management actions to take to enter the program in the future.

These options could direct you to your local Landcare group, as well as opportunities through Land For Wildlife or the Humane Society International’s wildlife sanctuaries.

You can apply for Conservation Partners Grants to fund your efforts to actively protect or improve the ecological value of your conservation site. A CPP landholder can apply for and may be eligible for a grant as per our eligibility policy.

Find more information at www.bct.nsw.gov.au/grants.     

Agreement-holders eligible for a grant can apply for grants by submitting an expression of interest at www.bct.nsw.gov.au/grants.

Before submitting a grant, we recommend discussing grant timelines with a local NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust staff member.

Landholders who enter a conservation agreement are part of a wider network of agreement holders, educators, contractors and our staff. The BCT has staff across regional offices to help support and work with regional landholders and communities.

Agreement-holders can learn more about conservation management at www.bct.nsw.gov.au/resources. 

Yes. Landholders with an in-perpetuity conservation agreement are exempt from local council rates.

Yes. Conservation agreements generated under the Conservation Partners Program do not offer Local Land Services rate relief.

However, you can reduce the amount you pay on the area under a conservation agreement to the base levies (Special Purpose Pest Management Rate and General Rate) by completing your Annual LLS Stock Return.  

Yes. A standard conservation agreement remains in place even if the property is sold.

A conservation agreement is a long-term commitment, made voluntarily by the landholder, to avoid harm to the natural values of their land. It is true that certain activities are not compatible with a conservation agreement, such as clearing native vegetation or undertaking activities that degrade the natural values. Forgoing opportunity to undertake these activities is the landholder’s choice. There are many activities which are compatible with conservation that can be undertaken within a conservation agreement area, such as passive recreational and commercial activities.  

Our Privacy Statement sets out our privacy obligations to you and explains how we manage personal information we collect about you. Our appropriate and responsible management of your personal information is an essential part of the way we do business, and we understand the importance of protecting your personal information.

Our full privacy statement.  

If you enter into a conservation agreement with us, the following information will be disclosed on a public register of private land conservation agreements:  

• the nature of the agreement
• the unique agreement identifier which will be issued by us
• the size of the agreement
• the duration of the agreement  
• the date the agreement was registered on title 
• the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust region the agreement is in
• the Local Government Area (LGA) the agreement is in
• whether the agreement is in an Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation of Australia (IBRA) region.