New co-investment opportunity to boost large scale conservation in NSW
Leaders from across the conservation, agribusiness and corporate sectors came together last month to explore a new co-investment model designed to support large-scale conservation partnerships across the state.
The roundtable, hosted by the Minister for Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Heritage the Hon. Penny Sharpe, heard plans to invest up to $20 million over 4 years to partner with landholders and organisations wanting to protect, enhance and restore high value biodiversity areas in NSW, forever.
The investment will be delivered by the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust (BCT) as a Conservation Co-Investment offer and will match funding and resources to prioritise areas that extend the National Reserve System of protected natural areas.
Each Conservation Co-investment project will permanently protect under-represented landscapes, over-cleared vegetation types, improve landscape connectivity and protect places with high biodiversity and cultural value.
BCT CEO Erin Giuliani said the matching opportunity will support landholders and organisations who want to protect and restore some of the most important bushland and habitat across NSW:
“This is a chance to deliver conservation at a scale that truly makes a difference. By matching partner contributions one-to-one, we can unlock up to $20 million in new investment to care for high value biodiversity and cultural areas. This is a major boost for the landscapes and communities who have been working hard to look after them.
“These are permanent, practical agreements that deliver real conservation outcomes on the ground. They support the people who are caring for these places every day and ensure these efforts endure well into the future,” Ms Giuliani said.
The Conservation Co-investment offer opens the door to new collaboration between government, landholders and private co-investors. It is simple to apply, easy for groups of landholders to work together, and supported by a process that links landholders with co-investors.
By combining cash and in-kind contributions like fencing, weed control or revegetation, partners can drive conservation at scale and help strengthen the National Reserve System, improve connectivity and protect high-priority ecosystems.
“Our role is to make sure these projects deliver strong, enduring conservation gains, backed by clear safeguards and long-term support for participating landholders.”
Ongoing annual payments will be made directly to participating landholders to support management of conservation areas forever.
To learn more, visit nsw.gov.au/bct-coinvest