Mrs Pavey said the Conservation Partner Grants, offered through the Biodiversity Conservation Trust (BCT), are intended to help private landholders maintain the eco-values of their property.

“Funding is available for things like fencing, weed control, pest animal control, supplementary planting and habitat restoration,” Mrs Pavey said.

Minister for the Environment, Gabrielle Upton said the opening of this program followed the NSW Government’s unprecedented investment of $240 million over five years, and $70 million per year ongoing, in private land conservation as part of the land management and biodiversity conservation reforms.

“The not-for-profit Biodiversity Conservation Trust will offer $37 million for programs in 2018,” Ms Upton said.

“This will deliver major benefits to the environment and support landholders to carry out important conservation management on their properties.”

Landholders with a conservation agreement or wildlife refuge agreement with the BCT that do not receive annual conservation management payments are eligible to apply for grants.

Details of the programs are available at: the BCT website www.bct.nsw.gov.au, by email at info@bct.nsw.gov.au or by phone on 1300 992 688.