Conservation properties emerge as drawcard for rural NSW buyers

Funded conservation sites are becoming a major attraction for property buyers across rural NSW, offering both environmental and financial benefits to new owners.

Properties with conservation covenants are increasingly sought after by buyers looking to meet environmental goals while receiving annual funding support.

NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust’s Chris Perceval said properties with existing agreements offered immediate access to protected wildlife.

“Buying a property with an agreement already in place means the new owners can be within a stone’s throw of important and exciting species like koalas and glossy black cockatoos the day they move in,” he said.

The trust provides indexed annual management payments to landowners who commit to conserving biodiversity on their properties.

Recent listings, including Paraken near Holbrook, have highlighted the growing appeal of properties with built-in conservation agreements.

Landowners with conservation agreements commit to maintaining the ecological integrity of protected sites on their property.

“We support them to do this and are a constant in their management of that site, so when new owners buy a property with an existing agreement, there’s a lot of help available for them to look after the land,” Perceval said.

The financial support has proven valuable for property owners managing conservation work.

“Landholders tell us the payments they receive from the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust have helped them reach their environmental goals for their property and have given them financial security to manage those goals through rough years,” he said.

“The money from the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust is a win-win – the land is protected and cared for, and landholders get tangible benefits for protecting it instead of paying out of their own pockets to care for nature.”