Restoring nature and enhancing value for landholders

Terms of Reference (Options to further protect and restore biodiversity and ecosystem functions in regional landscapes, and enhance value and support for landholders)

The Premier, at the request of the Minister for Agriculture, has asked the Natural Resources Commission to advise on options to further protect and restore biodiversity and ecosystem functions in regional landscapes, and enhance value and support for landholders. An advisory panel will support the Commission.

The review is to consider these matters on private rural land, with reference to the Land Management (Native Vegetation) Code 2018, the Local Land Services Regulation 2014 and Schedule 5A of the LLS Act. Other settings as relate to private land conservation in rural landscapes can be considered if required.

We will deliver our report to the Government in 2026.

Progress update

For this review, we have:

• sought and analysed public submissions
• met with stakeholders to discuss issues
• engaged relevant agencies including data and information requests
• undertaken field visits to discuss issues with landholders and agencies
• met with the advisory panel to seek advice on issues and test analysis.

Landholder roundtable

• Summary of discussion (December 2025)

We hosted three regional roundtables in Wagga Wagga, Dubbo and Coffs Harbour to hear from landholders about the risks and opportunities to protect and restore nature on their farming enterprise. We also sought to understand the existing and potential support and incentives landholder need to manage their land for productive and sustainable outcomes.

Over 40 landholders from surrounding regions attended the roundtables.

We thank participants for providing their valuable time and sharing their insights. We also thank the NSW Farmers Association for support in organising the roundtables.

Public submissions

We called for public submissions via the Have Your Say website up to May 2025. The Have Your Say consultation provided an opportunity for stakeholders to provide comments including on the Terms of Reference for the review via an online survey, email or postal submission.

A total of 91 submissions were received.

• Summary of submissions
• Individual submissions

Submissions are published in line with our submission policy.

The Advisory Panel and the Commission continue to consider the community submissions in its work to develop options.

Submissions

Advisory panel

We have established an advisory panel to support our review.

Panel members include:

• Dr Allan Lindsay Curtis AM, Social scientist (retired research professor, Charles Sturt University) and farmer
• Ms Bronwyn Petrie, Chair Conservation and Resource Management Committee, NSW Farmers Association
• Mr James Trezise, Director, Biodiversity Council
• Professor Martine Maron, Professor of Environmental Management, The University of Queensland
• Mr Oliver Costello, Executive Director, Jagun Alliance Aboriginal Corporation
• Mr Bryce Wilde (Chair) - Executive Director, Natural Resources Commission.

INS expert panel

We have established an expert panel to seek advice on matters related to invasive native species listed in NSW under the NSW Land Management (Native Vegetation) Code 2018.

Panel members include:

• Distinguished Professor Michelle Leishman, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University
• Associate Professor Jodi Price, Vegetation Ecology, Charles Sturt University
• Emeritus Professor Nick Reid, Ecosystem Management, School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England
• Dr David Eldridge, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of NSW
• Dr Ron Hacker, Fellow of the Australian Rangeland Society