Controlled Activity Approvals
Waterfront land advice and applications for works within 40 metres of waterways
BIODIVERSITY SERVICES
Biodiversity stewardship agreements
Feasibility, site assessment, and agreement support for landholders who want to protect native vegetation and generate biodiversity credits.
A Biodiversity Stewardship Agreement is a voluntary, in-perpetuity legal agreement between the landowner and the Minister responsible for the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016. It establishes a biodiversity stewardship site, is registered on title, and creates biodiversity credits that can be sold or used to offset biodiversity impacts.
ESEA advises landholders on feasibility, prepares Biodiversity Stewardship Site Assessment Reports through BAM-accredited assessment and supports the agreement and management-planning process.
HOW IT WORKS
From feasibility to agreement
The first step is a feasibility review, which considers the vegetation communities present, their condition, the likely credit types, market demand, and the management obligations that an agreement would place on the land in perpetuity.
A full site assessment then applies the Biodiversity Assessment Method, including vegetation integrity assessment, species-credit assessment where relevant, and a management plan. Once the agreement is approved and entered, biodiversity credits are created. The Total Fund Deposit represents the present value of future management payments required to fund the stewardship management actions.
When credits are sold or retired, the required contribution is paid into the Biodiversity Stewardship Payments Fund until the Total Fund Deposit is met, after which the Biodiversity Conservation Trust makes annual management payments to the agreement holder.
WHAT IS INCLUDED
What our biodiversity stewardship service includes
01
Feasibility and due diligence advice, including which credit types the land would generate and the demand for them
02
Biodiversity Stewardship Site Assessment Report prepared by a BAM Accredited Assessor
03
Management plan and Total Fund Deposit inputs
04
Support through the Biodiversity Conservation Trust application and agreement process
05
Ongoing monitoring and reporting support once the agreement is in place
HOW WE WORK
How we work with landholders
A stewardship agreement is a long-term commitment, so the feasibility advice has to be practical and the numbers have to hold up. ESEA tells landholders early whether the land is likely to generate credits worth pursuing, what the management obligations are likely to cost over time, and how the agreement sits alongside any other plans for the property, so the decision is made before significant assessment fees are committed.
Your assessment is managed by an experienced Senior Consultant from commencement through to completion, with Director-level review providing an additional layer of technical and strategic oversight, and we keep communication responsive through an approval process that can run for many months.
Recent biodiversity stewardship work
A Biodiversity Stewardship Agreement due diligence letter for a property at Mount Wilson in the Blue Mountains, completed September 2025, assessed the suitability of the land for a stewardship pathway and the implications of pursuing it before the landholder committed to a full assessment.
ESEA has also peer reviewed a Biodiversity Stewardship Site Assessment Report for a council in the Greater Sydney region, checking another assessor's stewardship evidence rather than preparing it.
FAQ
Biodiversity stewardship FAQs
Early feasibility advice is a separately scoped, relatively modest piece of work. A full site assessment and agreement support commission on an extensive property can fall within about $100,000 to $200,000 or more, driven by property size, vegetation diversity, seasonal survey requirements, credit calculations, and the complexity of the management arrangements. We always recommend the feasibility step first.
That depends on the vegetation communities, their condition, the area, and whether threatened species are present, and it cannot be estimated responsibly without a site visit. The feasibility review gives a range and, just as importantly, tells you whether anyone is buying those credit types.
The agreement is in perpetuity and binds future owners. Management actions such as weed control, grazing exclusion, and monitoring continue for the life of the agreement, funded through the Total Fund Deposit. This suits landholders who intend the land to stay as habitat and does not suit land that may be developed later.
Related Biodiversity Services
Targeted Species Surveys
Threatened species surveys timed to the season and conditions guidelines require
Vegetation Management Plans
Practical, council-ready plans for retained vegetation and rehabilitation areas
Biodiversity & Ecological Assessments
Statutory biodiversity assessment, from early constraints checks to a full BDAR
Review of Environmental Factors
Division 5.1 assessment for council, utility, and public infrastructure works
Dam Dewatering and Aquatic Ecology
Staged drawdown supervision and fauna salvage when a dam is drained
Ecological Research
Designed studies and long-term monitoring for councils, agencies, and universities
Thermal Surveys
Thermal inspection of buildings and hollow-bearing trees before demolition or clearing
partner with us
Is your land suited to a stewardship site?
Tell us about the property and the native vegetation on it. We will give you a feasibility view on biodiversity credits before you commit to a full Biodiversity Stewardship Site Assessment.