Apply for conservation funding

The NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust will open a new conservation tender for interested landholders following the success of the tender held in the region earlier this year.

The success of the BCT conservation tender in March saw the BCT enter into 11 conservation agreements with landholders in the Murray-Riverina.

These agreements cover nearly 5000 hectares and are worth a total of $13.1 million, provided to the landholder through annual payments for the term of the agreement.

Expressions of interest for the current tender round open on October 22.

NSW Member for Albury Greg Aplin said the BCT’s conservation management program offers a ground-breaking approach to conserving biodiversity, where landholders can set their own bid price and voluntarily compete in a tender to win a funded conservation agreement on a value for money basis.

Under an agreement, the landholder will be funded to carry out agreed conservation management actions. Generally agreements with the BCT can be in-perpetuity or for a fixed term of at least 15 years.

NSW Government funding of $46.6 million will be used for the BCT’s Conservation Tenders in 2018-19.