Fixed price offer frequently asked questions

No. Submitting an expression of interest is just the first step. It helps us assess whether you're eligible to enter a conservation agreement.

The agreement only becomes binding once both parties have signed it. You can withdraw from the process at any time before this happens.

Submitting an expression of interest is a 2-step process. First, you fill out the online form. Then, you’ll receive, via email, a link to map the area you want to include in your conservation agreement. This completes your expression of interest.

We look at submissions and decide which ones to assess first, based on eligibility.

If your site is a priority, we’ll contact you and arrange a site visit.

After the visit, we’ll let you know if your site is eligible. If it is, we’ll create a conservation management plan tailored to your land.

Once you've reviewed the plan, you can formally apply for a conservation agreement that includes it.

We open expressions of interests regularly, generally once a year. We then assess them as a batch.

After you submit your expression of interest you'll get an email to confirm we’ve received it.

The email will include a link so you can map the area you want to include in your conservation agreement. This completes your expression of interest.

Our staff will register your interest and do an initial check to see if your site might be eligible. You may not hear from us again until the current EOI period ends.

After that, we do a detailed eligibility check. We also do a desktop review to rank EOIs based on the biodiversity value of each site.

We'll contact landholders in order of priority. If your site ranks highly, we’ll get in touch first to arrange a site visit, usually within a few months.

Yes. All landholders who submit an expression of interest will be told whether their site is eligible.

If your site isn't eligible, we'll talk to you about other options.

Yes, you may be eligible to apply.

However, we may give preference to new applicants.

If you already have land management obligations or agreements on your property, please read the Fixed Price Offer landholder guide and the Existing Agreements and Obligations fact sheet.

If you have an existing agreement with us, talk to us about any changes you’re planning.

To apply for a fixed price conservation offer, you must:

• be eligible to enter into a conservation agreement with the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust
• have a site that meets the criteria for the current offer. See the Fixed Price Offer landholder guide.

You should feel confident that you can carry out the management actions in your conservation management plan, and that the payments offered will work for you.

You must also be willing to place a permanent conservation agreement on your land title.

Good condition vegetation usually has:

• little disturbance from land use
• a mix of different plant species in the ground and shrub layers
• stable soil that isn’t eroding or damaged.

Sites with all these features are more likely to rank highly for a conservation agreement. After your EOI is submitted, if your site is prioritised by us, our ecologists will come and assess your property.

See the Fixed Price Offer landholder guide.

Good condition wetlands usually have:

• low levels of land use around them
• a wide, unbroken area of native plants surrounding the wetland
• natural salinity levels that haven’t changed.

Wetlands with these features are more likely to rank highly for a conservation agreement. After your EOI is submitted, if your site is prioritised by us, our ecologists will come and assess your property.

See the Fixed Price Offer landholder guide.

You will still own your land. Choosing to enter a conservation agreement over part of your property is up to you. The agreement is designed with you and explains what land use is allowed.

If your application is successful, you’ll receive annual payments to help manage your land for conservation, no matter the weather or season.

The actions you take to care for your land can work alongside other uses of your property.

Yes. Weeds and pests can harm biodiversity just like they affect farming.

Managing weeds and pests is a key part of a conservation agreement. Our local team will help you create a management plan for your site.

When applying for a fixed price offer, think about how much it will cost to manage weeds and pests in your proposed conservation area in accordance with the management plan we will draft together after site assessment, and whether the payments offered will cover those costs.

Managing pests and weeds might mean hiring contractors, using equipment, or buying chemicals.

Conservation areas require ongoing management, and you will be entering an agreement that considers the cost to manage weeds, pests, and biomass levels

Yes. Land that is subject to a conservation agreement is exempt from council rates under section 555(1)(b1) of the Local Government Act 1993. 

Yes, this program doesn’t offer rate relief through Local Land Services (LLS).

However, if you complete your Annual LLS Stock Return, you can reduce the rates you pay on land under a conservation agreement. You should talk to your local LLS office. You will probably still need to pay the base levies:

• Special Purpose Pest Management Rate
• General Rate.

Yes. The conservation agreement is registered on your land title. This means the agreement stays in place even if you sell the land or move away.

The conservation outcomes are protected forever.

If the land is sold, the agreement, and the annual payments, transfer to the new owner. This helps make sure the conservation work continues over time.

No. Not all sites can receive a site assessment. Sites will be prioritised for assessment based on information provided by the landholder in the expression of interest (EOI), and against eligibility criteria. 

Our schedule of fixed price offers details how we calculate annual payments for proposed sites based on the Local Government Area (LGA) and the Land and Soil Capability (LSC) classes across the site. View Central or Eastern NSW rates or Western NSW rates.

Using commissioned land valuation research, a base value for 3 LSC groups have been identified to create a reasonable rate of return (dollars / hectare / year) for each eligible LGA.

See the Fixed Price Offer landholder guide.

No, but the conservation agreement provides for increased payments in future years, indexed in line with inflation.  

No. Your agreement will continue to receive the rate that was applicable to the year you submitted your expression of interest (EOI).

Yes. The list of eligible areas is reviewed regularly. This means new areas can be added, and some areas may be removed if conservation goals have already been met and those areas are no longer a priority.

If your area becomes ineligible for a future offer, it may still qualify for another NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust programs.

Yes. During the agreement negotiation, you can ask for help covering the direct costs of essential conservation infrastructure such as fencing and waterpoint management.

You can request up to 50% of the cost, but we may limit or refuse funding based on your needs and the overall value of your agreement. If approved, these costs will be paid on top of your fixed price payments.

You may also be able to apply for another conservation agreement on a different part of your property. This will depend on the eligibility rules for that program.

To receive your annual management payment under the terms of your conservation agreement, you will be required to report on progress towards achieving your management actions. Agreements include the provision for periodic review every 5 years.

Landholders who enter a conservation agreement are part of a wider network of agreement-holders, educators, contractors and our staff. We also have online learning to support the conservation management actions that are in your annual plan.  

On any financial and/or legal advice, we’d recommend seeking professional guidance, appropriate to your circumstances.  

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, in this case a funded 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
• which Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation of Australia (IBRA) region the agreement is in.