These grants provide financial assistance for landholders managing conservation agreement areas to improve the biodiversity value of their properties.
Key information
- Status: Ongoing
- Grant amount: From $2,000 to $15,000
- Application opened: 15 April 2018
Program objective
Conservation Partners Grants support landholders working to protect and manage biodiversity on their land.
The grants are available on an on-going basis for landholders who are not seeking or are ineligible for conservation management payments under the Biodiversity Conservation Trust’s Conservation Management Program.
Funding
There are four levels of funding available:
- Up to $15,000 per year for up to three years for landholders with in-perpetuity conservation agreements, Trust Agreements, Registered Property Agreements.
- Up to $8,000 per year for up to three years for landholders with a term Registered Property Agreement.
- Up to $2,000 per year for up to three years for landholders with a wildlife refuge or wildlife refuge agreement or who are members of Wildlife Land Trust.
- Landholders with Land For Wildlife agreements can apply to the Community Environment Network (CEN) for conservation partners grants of up to $2,000 per year.
The CEN grant can be identified by prefix "LFWBG" in recipient number.
In-perpetuity agreements greater than 1,000 Ha in size may be eligible for up to $30,000/year for up to three years. Investment at this level is at the discretion of the BCT and subject to case-by-case assessment.
Applications will be funded if they are eligible, complete and meet the assessment criteria and if the BCT has available funding.
Contributions from landholders such as labour or co-contributions are encouraged.
This program is funded and administered by Biodiversity Conservation Trust of NSW.
Eligibility
Who can apply
If you have one of the following types of agreements, you may be eligible to apply for a BCT conservation partners grant:
- an in-perpetuity conservation agreement (established under the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 (NSW) or the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974)
- an in-perpetuity Trust Agreement (established under the Nature Conservation Trust Act 2001)
- an in-perpetuity or termed Registered Property Agreement (established under the Native Vegetation Conservation Act 1997)
- wildlife refuge or wildlife refuge agreement (established under the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 (NSW) or the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974)
- are a participant in the HSI – Wildlife Land Trust program.
Note: Landholders with Land For Wildlife agreements can apply to the Community Environment Network (CEN) for conservation partners grants of up to $2,000 per year.
If you have a conservation agreement as a development consent condition entered under the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016, Nature Conservation Trust Act 2001 or the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974, you may be eligible to apply for a grant as long as you are:
- not the proponent who is required to satisfy the consent condition, and
- able to demonstrate you are not receiving the funds for managing biodiversity offset obligations or development consent conditions.
To apply for a conservation partners grant, the applicant entity must be:
- an owner of the land, as defined by the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 (NSW)
- an Australian citizen registered for tax purposes in Australia and holding an Australian bank account, or an Australian registered company, registered for tax purposes in Australia and holding an Australian bank account
- fit and proper persons to enter into a grant agreement with the Biodiversity Conservation Trust.
Who can’t apply
You cannot apply if:
- you do not have one of the above agreements
- you have a new conservation agreement with the BCT and are receiving annual management payments
- you have a ‘set aside’ conservation agreement under the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 as part of compliance outcomes under the Native Vegetation Act 2003
- you have an agreement that was established for the purpose of securing a biodiversity offset including:
- a biodiversity stewardship agreement (BSA) entered under the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016
- a BioBanking agreement entered into under the repealed Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995
- a conservation agreement as a development consent condition entered under the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016, Nature Conservation Trust Act 2001 or the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974 and are receiving funding for management activities.
Types of projects funded under this grant
Funding covers a works program of 1 to 3 years for activities outlined in the table below:
| Activity | Result |
|---|---|
| Assisted regeneration and weed control (as part of an assisted regeneration strategy) | Control of high threat weed species within the conservation area to maintain / enhance native vegetation in good condition. Fostering natural regeneration by actively removing threats and/or providing a trigger (e.g. soil disturbance) to enable this to |
| Fencing | Contribution to the installation, repairs or replacement of essential conservation infrastructure – fencing, to secure conservation area, control grazing from livestock, to enable restoration of native vegetation. |
| Introduced pest animal control | Control of introduced pest animal species to reduce or remove pressure and or threat to native species within the conservation area. |
| Revegetation (including supplementary planting) | Introduction of plant propagules (either seedlings/tubestock or direct seeding) into sites with depleted or low resilience and/or where competition from introduced pasture plants or weeds are preventing natural regeneration. |
| Habitat restoration | Installation of nest box(es) and artificial hollows and or addition of ground layer and habitat structure to the conservation area. |
| SoS management actions | Management actions identified by the Saving Our Species program where the grant applies to land that is within/contains an identified SoS site managed species site. |
| Other maintenance | Repairs to existing features such as tracks required to maintain conservation value(s) of the conservation area. |
| Native vegetation restoration planning | Preparation of a native vegetation restoration plan to guide assisted regeneration and weed control, or revegetation (including supplementary planting), where limited to 10% of total eligible funding amount for 3 years. |
| Project or grant management | Engagement of third party(s) to develop application and or manage the grant on behalf of agreement holder where limited to 5% of total funds. |
In some cases we may arrange to visit you on your property to assess eligibility and proceed with your application.
During these visits, you can ask the BCT staff member any questions you have about your agreement and the activities you want to undertake.
Works already completed or funded from another source will not be eligible for a grant.
Emergencies
Following emergencies such as bushfires, grant funding will also be considered for:
- providing support to wildlife such as watering points and shelter
- additional weed control so that native vegetation can recover
- additional or higher frequency introduced pest animal control where prey cover has been removed by fire (this should be coordinated through Local Land Services, or National Parks and Wildlife Service when adjacent to a reserve)
- other site-specific activities to restore conservation values.
What can’t you apply for
Conservation partner grants are not available for
- activities that are part of existing land management obligations and are already being funded
- works that have already been completed
- hire of landholder-owned machinery
- capital improvements such as farm infrastructure (except essential conservation infrastructure such as fencing
- purchase of equipment
- landholders’ legal obligations related to weed control, such as where a control order has been issued under the Biosecurity Act 2015 or where there are weed control requirements under a Section 88B covenant under the Conveyancing Act 1919
- landholders’ own labour
- ecological burning (unless approval has been granted from the relevant authority for hazard reduction and / or cultural burning objectives)
- ecological surveys and assessments will generally not be funded.
Example projects
Examples of funded projects include fencing, assisted regeneration and weed control, introduced pest animal control, revegetation and habitat restoration.
Most recent recipients
What your application needs to include
You can download the complete guidelines for applicants:
File
Conservation Partners Grants Guide (PDF 170.63KB)See the printable version of the application form:
File
Conservation Partners Grants application form (PDF 1.82MB)You can also visit the Biodiversity Conservation Trust website for information.
Prepare your application with this checklist
Have you confirmed your GST status?
If you are not registered for GST, include total costs payable (including any GST if applicable). If you are registered for GST, include GST exclusive costs.
Have all owners signed the application?
Does the map show all work areas and weed type areas if applicable?
Keep a copy of this application for your records.
Address the eligibility criteria
You can apply for a grant from the BCT if you have one of the following NSW private land conservation agreements
- unfunded conservation agreement
- trust agreement
- registered property agreement
- wildlife refuge or wildlife refuge agreement
- participation in the Humane Society International’s (HSI) Wildlife Land Trust program.
Address the assessment criteria
You will need to complete a grant application form, where you will provide costing and details of the works you are proposing.
Applications will be assessed against
- the need for the activity has been demonstrated – either by it being identified in the management plan for the agreement or covenant, or because you have made a separate case that funding is needed because new circumstances have arisen
- the activity is good value for money as it is a reasonable cost compared to similar activities
- the approach to undertake the activity is sound and it will deliver results to maintain or improve the conservation values of the property.
Start the application
Grant applicants should complete an EOI form (PDF 1.82MB) and submit it to the BCT via email at info@bct.nsw.gov.au or the postal address provided on the form.
After the application is submitted
The applications will be assessed and both successful and unsuccessful applicants will be notified.
If you are successful and your application is approved, you will be sent a letter of offer with a grant agreement. The approval of your grant may have specific conditions determined by the assessment process or other considerations made by the BCT. We will identify these in the letter of offer.
Once you have accepted the offer in writing, you will then receive the first grant instalment to begin the agreed works. You will need to report on the works and acquit the grant once complete.
If you are unsuccessful, we will notify you in writing and give you an opportunity to discuss the outcome with us.
Support and contact
Phone: 1300 992 688
Email: info@bct.nsw.gov.au
Postal Address: Biodiversity Conservation Trust, Conservation Partners Grants, Locked Bag 5022, Parramatta, NSW, 2124.