Why should I get involved?

More than 2,000 landholders across NSW have already decided to get involved in private land conservation for different reasons.

Some landholders get involved because they wish to conserve nature for the future; some because they wish to protect their land from environmental threats; some because it can bring a diversified source of income for conservation management; and some to improve productive capacity of their land or adjoining land.

Many get involved for several or all of these reasons.

Some people get involved in PLC to help protect the environment and conserve our biodiversity. Nearly 1,000 of our native plants and animals, and many of our unique ecological communities in NSW, are under threat of becoming extinct.

There are many places in NSW where we need to place ecosystems or habitat for threatened species under conservation management, so we can secure these threatened species in the wild for the future. Under the government’s Biodiversity Conservation Investment Strategy, the BCT is investing in conservation agreements that will help protect under-represented NSW Landscapes and other conservation priorities. To find our more, read about the BCT’s Conservation Management Program.

Some landholders get involved in managing parts of their property for conservation because it can enhance the productive capacity of their adjoining grazing or farming land. Benefits can include:

  • retention of top soil
  • soil moisture control
  • pollination
  • pest management
  • shelter for stock
  • salinity control
  • drought resilience
  • improved sustainability credentials for farm produce
  • access to new markets

With the creation of the BCT there are now even more benefits to getting involved in PLC. All landholders who sign a PLC agreement with the BCT gain access to our Landholder Support Program.

Depending on your circumstances you may be able to secure financial support for participating in a conservation agreement, either in the form of annual conservation management payments or eligibility to apply for Conservation Partners Grants.