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Conservation agreements

What is a conservation agreement?

A conservation agreement is an agreement between the Australian Government Environment Minister and another person for the protection and conservation of biodiversity in an area of land or sea.

A conservation agreement may provide for:

• activities that promote the protection and conservation of the following:
  • 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 Commonwealth
• monitoring compliance with the agreement

A conservation agreement can, amongst other things and in addition to those matters listed above, require the owner 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
• forfeit 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 Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act).

If the Minister considers that an action taken by a person contravened or may have contravened a provision of Part 3 of the EPBC Act, a conservation agreement may deal with remediation or mitigation measures.

Conservation agreements are legally binding on the Commonwealth, all other parties to the agreement; and any parties that gain an interest in any part of the area after the agreement is entered into.

A notice will be published on this web site if the Minister enters, varies, or terminates a conservation agreement.

The Australian Government Environment Minister will maintain an up-to-date list of conservation agreements that are in force.

• Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999  - Chapter 5, Part 14 - Conservation agreements
• Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Regulations 2000  - Part 7, Division 7.6 - Conservation agreements

List of conservation agreements under the EPBC Act

List of conservation agreements under the EPBC Act

Agreement with	For	State or territory
Tourist/Residential Development off Jackey Jackey Street, South Mission Beach, QLD (PDF - 3742 KB)	Protection and conservation of a specified 55 hectare area of land on Lot 392 on NR2119, 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	Queensland
Burnett Water Pty Ltd and Burnett Mary Regional Group for Natural Resource Management Inc (PDF - 659 KB)	Protection, Restoration and Rehabilitation of Habitat for Migratory Shorebirds in the Burnett River Estuary and Associated Areas.	Queensland
Roads Corporation (PDF - 1618 KB)	Growling Grass Frog conservation management plan for proposed Donnybrook-Hume Highway interchange, Kalkallo, Victoria by Biosis research	Victoria
Landholders (K & M Christian) (PDF - 925 KB)	Listed threatened species under the EPBC Act in relation to Portion 98a.	Norfolk Island
Landholders (S Ryves) (PDF - 1459 KB)	Listed threatened species under the EPBC Act in relation to Portion 108b.	Norfolk Island
Landholders (B & M Blunden) (PDF - 1253 KB)	Listed threatened species or ecological communities under the EPBC Act at 835 Elliots Road, Myrtle Creek, Bungawlbyn.	NSW
Buller Ski Lifts Pty Ltd (PDF - 389 KB)	Rehabilitation and management of the Area at the Mount Buller Ski Resort.	Victoria
Starline Australia Holdings (PDF - 1684 KB)	Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Property in relation to the Reef Cove Resort, East Trinity.	Queensland
Multiplex Developments No. 8 Pty Ltd (PDF - 511 KB)	Protection and conservation of the Pimelea spinscens subsp. spinecens	Victoria
Satterley Property Group, Dalyellup Beach Pty Ltd, The Housing Authority and Home Satterley Dalyellup Pty Ltd (PDF - 1101 KB)	Research and monitoring of the Western Ringtail Possum in urban development areas of Bussellton and Bunbury.	Western Australia
Woodside Energy Ltd* (PDF - 5188 KB)	National Heritage Values of the Dampier Archipelago (including Burrup Peninsula) National Heritage Place	Western Australia
Hamersley Iron Pty Ltd and Dampier Salt Limited* (PDF - 18 884 KB)	National Heritage Values of the Dampier Archipelago (including Burrup Peninsula) National Heritage Place	Western Australia
Galaway Holdings Pty Ltd (PDF - 89 KB)	Listed threatened species under the EPBC Act in relation to the conservation management plan for grassland and wetland reserves at Lavaton.	Victoria
Government of New South Wales (PDF - 1.77 MB) Variation to conservation agreement October 2011 (PDF - 595 KB) |  (Word - 738 KB)	The development of the Edmondson Park Precinct under the EPBC Act.	New South Wales
Government of Queensland (PDF - 462 KB) |  (Word - 1.8 MB) Link to schedules (PDF - 13 KB) |  (Word - 29 KB)	Low-impact aquaculture activities in relation to the Great Sandy Regional marine aquaculture plan	Queensland
Landholders (S & J Singh) (PDF - 1,192 KB) |  (Word - 58 KB)	In response to an identified contravention of Part 3 of the EPBC Act this Conservation Agreement between the Singhs and the department requires the removal of all bananas within two identified riparian zones in Bingil Bay Queensland and restore the natural ecology of those areas. The EPBC Act provides significant penalties of up to $550,000 for an individual who contravenes remediation provisions.	Queensland

* Parts of these conservation agreements have not been disclosed for commercial-in-confidence reasons or because they contain culturally sensitive images.