An area the size of the state's largest national park will be protected by private landholders under a new plan to be delivered by the NSW Government.
NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust Board Chair, the Hon. Niall Blair, said that under the new plan, permanent, privately managed conservation areas will grow to over 700,000 hectares - an area equivalent in size to Kosciusko National Park - by 2029.
After exceeding its goal to protect 200,000 new hectares of private land under conservation agreements over the four years to 2025, the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust is on track to continue to expand the state’s permanently protected areas over the coming four years.
Mr Blair said with more than 80 per cent of the state’s land managed privately, the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust was uniquely placed to enable landowners to protect biodiversity across the state:
“Biodiversity in NSW is facing many pressures, with climate change, habitat loss and invasive species known to have a massive impact on our environment.
“The NSW Government recognises our state’s biodiversity is in crisis and urgent action must be taken to put nature on a path to recovery”.
Nationally, targets have been set to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030. These targets address key drivers of biodiversity decline in Australia and include efforts to protect and conserve 30 per cent of Australia's landmass by 2030. The NSW private land conservation estate contributes to these national targets.
The area under agreement with the BCT already protects 302 threatened species and 177 landscapes underrepresented or not represented by publicly held conservation areas. It also connects landowners with opportunities to manage and monitor conservation areas, so biodiversity values are protected and enhanced.
Mr Blair said that over the next four years the BCT will continue to deliver its highly sought-after private land conservation programs:
“Over the course of this business plan our team will deliver important support for existing and new agreement holders that helps them protect and enhance biodiversity, while expanding its work with Aboriginal landholders and stakeholders to embed cultural biodiversity knowledge and practices into program design and delivery.
“We’ll deliver and source new investments and collaborate with partners to protect, connect and restore biodiversity on private land”, Mr Blair said.