From 1 October 2026, the Biodiversity Offsets Payment Calculator Order 2026 sets the charges for paying into the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Fund. The econometric pricing model has been removed, new quotes are valid for one year instead of three, and the Biodiversity Conservation Trust no longer provides credit price estimates.
If your project has a biodiversity credit obligation, these changes affect how you budget for it and how long a quoted charge will hold. Credit numbers come from the Biodiversity Development Assessment Report (BDAR), so the work done in your biodiversity assessment still decides the size of the obligation.
How do biodiversity credits work in NSW?
Under the Biodiversity Offsets Scheme, development that clears native vegetation or affects threatened species may need to offset the remaining impact with biodiversity credits. The credits are calculated using the Biodiversity Assessment Method and set out in the BDAR.
A proponent can meet the obligation in three ways. It can buy credits from a landholder and retire them, it can generate credits on its own land through a biodiversity stewardship agreement, or it can pay into the Biodiversity Conservation Fund. When a proponent pays into the Fund, the Biodiversity Conservation Trust (BCT) takes on the obligation and must acquit it within 3 years.
The amount paid into the Fund is set by a calculator made under section 6.32 of the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016. The rules for that calculator are in a ministerial order.
What changed on 1 October 2026?
The Biodiversity Offsets Payment Calculator Order 2026 was made on 29 July 2026 and commenced on 1 October 2026. It replaces the 2022 Order. The BCT has said the core pricing methods are unchanged for most credit types, but several features have changed.
The econometric model has been removed
Under the 2022 Order, a statistical or econometric model was used to price a small number of credit types, including Cumberland Plain Woodland in the Sydney Basin Bioregion. The 2026 Order removes that model. Charges are now worked out using cost-structure tools for ecosystem and species credits, and market soundings.
Quotes now last one year
A Fund quote issued under the 2026 Order is valid for 365 days, or until a later quote is issued, whichever comes first. Under the 2022 Order, quotes lasted 3 years. Monthly indexation of new quotes has also been removed.
Charges are published
The BCT must publish each charge it issues within 7 days. This gives proponents and their advisers a public record of recent charges.
Existing quotes
Quotes issued before 1 October 2026 keep their price until they expire, with indexation continuing to apply to them. A holder can ask for a replacement quote under the new Order.
Can I still get a price estimate from the BCT?
The BCT discontinued its biodiversity credit price estimate service from 1 October 2026. Until the end of 2026, it offers a pre-assessment credit price estimate for proponents who have not yet lodged a development application, with those estimates published weekly. After that, the main reference points are the published charges and the charge report on the BCT website.
We do not quote credit prices, because they depend on the credit type, the location, and the market at the time. The BCT publishes current charge information, linked in the sources below.
Why does this matter for Cumberland Plain Woodland?
Cumberland Plain Woodland is a critically endangered ecological community found across Western Sydney. It is often present on growth area sites and can drive significant avoidance, serious and irreversible impact, and offset considerations.
Because the econometric model that priced these credits has been removed, past charges for Cumberland Plain Woodland are a less reliable guide to what a new quote will be. Credit costs are market-dependent and can be significant. Early layout testing and impact avoidance are generally more reliable ways to manage the obligation than relying on a single indicative price.
What this means for your project
Do not carry forward an old Fund quote or price estimate into a new budget without checking it. A quote issued under the 2026 Order lasts one year, so time your request to match when you expect to pay.
The surest way to reduce the cost of credits is to reduce the number of credits. Avoidance and minimisation work done at the design stage, before the credits are calculated, has a direct effect on the obligation. This matters on Cumberland Plain sites, where the cost per credit can be significant.
If you hold land with native vegetation, a stewardship agreement may let you meet some of the obligation yourself. Our biodiversity services can help you compare the options.
Frequently asked questions
Can I still get a credit price estimate from the BCT?
Not through the old service. The BCT discontinued its credit price estimate service on 1 October 2026. A pre-assessment estimate is available until the end of 2026 for proponents who have not yet lodged a development application. After that, use the charges the BCT publishes and a formal quote when you are ready to pay into the Fund.
Why is Cumberland Plain Woodland priced differently?
Under the 2022 Order, Cumberland Plain Woodland was one of a small number of credit types priced with an econometric model. The 2026 Order removed that model from 1 October 2026, so new charges are worked out with the Order’s other tools. Past charges for this community are therefore a weaker guide to a new quote.
Can my credit obligation be reduced?
Yes. Identifying ecological constraints early and developing practical ways to avoid and minimise impacts on native vegetation, while the design can still change and before the credits are calculated, reduces biodiversity offset credit obligations wherever possible. Reducing the clearing footprint is the only reliable way to reduce the number of credits needed.
Sources
- Biodiversity Offsets Payment Calculator Order 2026
- Biodiversity Conservation Trust, Biodiversity Offsets Payment Calculator Order 2026
- Biodiversity Conservation Trust, Get a credit price estimate
- Biodiversity Conservation Trust, Biodiversity Conservation Fund charge report
- Biodiversity Conservation Trust, Pay into the Biodiversity Conservation Fund
- Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016
Related projects: Richards Precinct, Riverstone West, Advance Street, Schofields and stewardship due diligence at Mount Wilson.
Related updates: What changed in the Biodiversity Offsets Scheme on 7 March 2025.
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