Delivering Biodiversity Offsets

The NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust’s Biodiversity Offsets Program is responsible for securing biodiversity offsets when developers choose to meet their offset obligation by paying into the Biodiversity Conservation Fund.

We secure offsets by:

  1. Working with landholders to establish new Biodiversity Stewardship Agreements that will generate credits the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust can then purchase at an agreed price.
  2. Buying biodiversity credits from landholders who have existing Biodiversity Stewardship Agreements (Biodiversity Stewardship Agreements) or BioBanking Agreements through biodiversity credit tenders and fixed price offers.
  3. Funding Biodiversity Conservation Actions.

The NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust’s Biodiversity Offsets Program uses four delivery mechanisms to secure biodiversity credits needed to meet developer offset obligations: biodiversity credit tenders, biodiversity credit fixed price offers (open and targeted), the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust’s revolving fund and biodiversity conservation actions.

 

Buying biodiversity credits from landholders

To date, the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust has completed four Biodiversity Credit Tenders and one state-wide fixed price offer. All purchases made via these delivery mechanisms are available on the public registers administered by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW).

Information about current biodiversity credit tenders and expressions of interest is available on our biodiversity credit tender page. Information about completed tenders and fixed price offers is available on our BOP outcomes page.

For more information about the biodiversity credit open fixed price offer, please visit this page.

 

Working with landowners to establish new biodiversity stewardship agreements

The NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust is working with landholders to establish new biodiversity stewardship agreements (Biodiversity Stewardship Agreements) that will generate biodiversity credits the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust can then purchase at an agreed price. Under certain circumstances, the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust might also decide to place a Biodiversity Stewardship Agreement over a property acquired through the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust’s Revolving Fund.

  • Biodiversity stewardship agreements 
    Biodiversity stewardship agreements are used for landholders wishing to generate and sell biodiversity credits under the Biodiversity Offsets Scheme. They provide permanent conservation and management of the biodiversity values on the land. Find out more
  • NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust Revolving Fund's biodiversity stewardship agreements
    The NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust will use the Revolving Fund in limited circumstances to secure wanted biodiversity credits. The NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust uses its Revolving Fund to purchase properties available in the real estate market that have proven capacity to generate wanted credits. The NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust then establishes a Biodiversity Stewardship Agreements (Biodiversity Stewardship Agreement) on the some or all of the property, then re-sells the property in the real estate market. Purchasers must be willing to buy the property knowing it comes with the responsibilities of a Biodiversity Stewardship Agreement.

 

Financial assistance to establish a Biodiversity Stewardship Agreement

Landholders proposing to sell credits to the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust may be eligible for financial assistance to set up a Biodiversity Stewardship Agreement. The NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust recognises that many landholders face barriers to participating in the Biodiversity Offsets Scheme due to the high upfront costs of establishing a Biodiversity Stewardship Agreement. The assistance is intended to facilitate the supply of credits by helping landholders to undertake these assessments. 

 

Funding Biodiversity Conservation Actions

Under the Biodiversity Offset Scheme, NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust may sometimes fund biodiversity conservation actions, instead of procuring biodiversity credits. NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust may identify and fund high-priority investment options or may invite tenders to supply conservation projects.

Visit the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust’s Wanted Credits List to get more information on the biodiversity credits wanted by the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust.