A conservation agreement is an agreement between the Australian Government and another party. Its purpose is to protect and conserve Australian biodiversity. Find out what a conservation agreement covers, and view a list of current agreements.
What a conservation agreement covers
A conservation agreement is an agreement between the Commonwealth minister for the Environment (the minister) and another party to protect and conserve biodiversity in an area of land or sea. In this context, a 'party' may be:
- a landowner
- an organisation
- a state, territory or local government.
These agreements are established under the Environment Protection Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act).
A conservation agreement may provide for:
- activities that promote the protection and conservation of:
- biodiversity
- the world heritage values of declared World Heritage properties
- the National Heritage values of National Heritage places
- the Commonwealth Heritage values of Commonwealth Heritage places
- the ecological character of a declared Ramsar wetland
- the environment, in respect of the impact of a nuclear action
- the environment in a Commonwealth marine area
- the environment on Commonwealth land
- financial, technical or other assistance from the Australian Government
- monitoring compliance with the agreement.
A conservation agreement can also require the owner or manager of a place to:
- carry out activities that promote the protection and conservation of biodiversity
- refrain from, or control, activities that may adversely affect the species, ecological community or habitat covered by the agreement
- permit access to the place by specified persons
- contribute towards the costs incurred under the agreement
- spend any money paid to them under the agreement in a specified manner
- give back any money paid to them under the agreement if they contravene the agreement.
A conservation agreement may include a declaration that actions do not need approval under Part 9 of the EPBC Act.
A conservation agreement may deal with remediation or mitigation measures. This can occur if the minister considers that an action taken by a person contravened or may have contravened a provision of the EPBC Act.
Conservation agreements are legally binding on:
- the Commonwealth
- all other parties to the agreement
- any parties that gain an interest in any part of the area after the agreement is entered into.
We publish a notice on this page any time the minister enters, varies or terminates a conservation agreement.
If you want to read more about these agreements, they are legislated under:
- Chapter 5 Part 14 - Conservation agreements of the EPBC Act
- Part 7 Division 7.6 - Conservation agreements of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Regulations 2000.
List of conservation agreements under the EPBC Act
The minister maintains an up-to-date list of conservation agreements that are in force.
- Conservation agreement with the Eurobodalla Shire Council for the protection and conservation of the Grey-headed Flying-fox (Pteropus poliocephalus) at Batemans Bay NSW - read Conservation agreement with Eurobodalla Shire Council (PDF - 1.1 MB).
- Conservation agreement with the NSW Government and Parramatta City Council for the protection and conservation of the World Heritage Values and National Heritage Values of the Australian Convict Sites, Old Government House and Domain, Parramatta New South Wales - read:
- Conservation agreement with the NSW Government for the development of the Edmondson Park Precinct under the EPBC Act - read:
- Conservation agreement NSW Government (PDF - 1.7 MB)
- October 2011 variation (PDF - 595 KB)
- August 2012 variation (PDF - 817 KB)
- November 2013 variation (PDF - 494 KB)
- December 2013 variation - attachment A (PDF - 295 KB),
- Map 3 as per attachment A (PDF - 294 KB)
- February 2019 variation (PDF - 130 KB).
- Conservation agreement with landholders (B and M Blunden) for the protection of listed threatened species or ecological communities under the EPBC Act at Myrtle Creek, Bungawlbyn - read Conservation agreement with B and M Blunden (PDF - 1.2 MB).
- Conservation agreement with landholders (K and M Christian) for the protection of listed threatened species under the EPBC Act in relation to Portion 98a - read Conservation agreement with K and M Christian (PDF - 924 KB).
- Conservation agreement with landholder (S Ryves) for the protection of listed threatened species under the EPBC Act in relation to Portion 108b - read Conservation agreement with S Ryves (PDF - 1.4 MB).
- Conservation agreement with the Queensland Government and Sunshine Coast Regional Council for the protection and conservation of lowland rainforest of subtropical Australia at Palmview, Queensland - read Conservation agreement with Qld Government and Sunshine Coast Regional Council (PDF - 4.3 MB).
- Conservation agreement with Fraser Panorama Pty Ltd for the protection and conservation of Quassia bidwillii at Kawungan, Queensland - read Conservation agreement with Fraser Panorama (PDF - 1.6 MB).
- Conservation agreement with the Sunshine Coast Regional Council for the protection of the Grey-headed Flying-fox in the Sunshine Coast Local Government Area - read:
- Conservation agreement with landholders (S and J Singh) to remove all bananas within 2 identified riparian zones in Bingil Bay, Queensland and restore the natural ecology of those areas - read Conservation agreement with S and J Singh(PDF - 1.2 MB).
- Conservation agreement with Queensland Government for low-impact aquaculture activities in relation to the Great Sandy Regional marine aquaculture plan - read:
- Conservation agreement with landholders (Plapp and Jones) for tourist/residential development at South Mission Beach requiring a specified area of land in County of Nares, Parish of Hull to be set aside as a reserve and ensure the ongoing protection and maintenance of this area of land to provide a suitable habitat for the Southern Cassowary - read Conservation agreement with Plapp and Jones (PDF - 3.7 MB).
- Conservation agreement with Burnett Water Pty Ltd and Burnett Mary Regional Group for Natural Resource Management Inc for the protection, restoration and rehabilitation of habitat for migratory shorebirds in the Burnett River Estuary and associated areas - read:
- Conservation agreement with Starline Australia Holdings for the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Property in relation to the Reef Cove Resort, East Trinity - read Conservation agreement with Starline Australia (PDF - 1.6 MB).
- Conservation agreement with the Tasmanian Government for the protection and conservation of areas of State Forest separating the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area from adjoining wood production coupes - read:
- Conservation agreement with the Tasmanian Government for the protection and management of public native forest in accordance with the Tasmanian Forest Agreement 2012 - read Conservation agreement with Tas Government for public native forests (PDF - 343 KB).
- Conservation agreement with the Tasmanian Government to protect interim forest area under the Tasmanian Forests Intergovernmental Agreement - read Conservation agreement with Tas Government for interim forest.
- Conservation agreement with Roads Corporation for Growling Grass Frog conservation management plan for proposed Donnybrook-Hume Highway interchange, Kalkallo, Victoria by Biosis research - read Conservation agreement with Roads Corporation (PDF - 1.6 MB).
- Conservation agreement with Galaway Holdings Pty Ltd for the protection of listed threatened species under the EPBC Act in relation to the conservation management plan for grassland and wetland reserves at Lavaton - read Conservation agreement with Galaway Holdings Pty Ltd (PDF - 89 KB).
- Conservation agreement with Buller Ski Lifts Pty Ltd for the rehabilitation and management of the Area at the Mount Buller Ski Resort - read Conservation agreement with Buller Ski Lifts Pty Ltd (PDF - 389 KB).
- Conservation agreement with Multiplex Development No. 8 Pty Ltd for the protection and conservation of the Pimelea spinscens subsp. spinecens - read Conservation agreement with Multiplex (PDF - 510 KB).
- Conservation agreement with Peet Southern JV Pty Ltd for the protection and conservation of the Carnaby’s Cockatoo. Peet Southern JV agrees to pay for the purchase of at least 320 hectares of land which contains Carnaby’s Black Cockatoo habitat in response to an identified contravention of Part 3 of the EPBC Act - read Conservation agreement with Peet Southern JV (PDF - 1.4 MB).
- Conservation agreement with Hammersley Iron Pty Ltd and Dampier Salt Ltd* regarding National Heritage Values of the Dampier Archipelago (including Burrup Peninsula) National Heritage Place - read Conservation agreement with Hammersley Iron and Dampier Salt (PDF - 18.4 MB).
- Conservation agreement with Woodside Energy Ltd* regarding National Heritage Values of the Dampier Archipelago (including Burrup Peninsula) National Heritage Place - read Conservation agreement with Woodside Energy (PDF - 5.1 MB).
- Conservation agreement with Slatterley Property Group, Dalyellup Beach Pty Ltd, The Housing Authority and Home Satterley Dalyellup Pty Ltd for research and monitoring of the Western Ringtail Possum in urban development areas of Busselton and Bunbury - read Conservation agreement with Slatterley Property Group (PDF - 1.1 MB).
* Parts of these conservation agreements have not been disclosed for commercial-in-confidence reasons, or because they contain culturally sensitive images.