The NSW Environmental Trust will collaborate with communities and organisations across New South Wales to protect and restore the environment, guided by a new 5-year strategic plan.
Underpinned by legislation and the Environmental Trust Act 1998, the Trust is a dedicated fund to help care for our environment. It is uniquely positioned to make a significant and lasting positive difference to the environment in New South Wales.
Since its inception in 1998, the Trust has delivered $1.34 billion to support environmental programs on both public and private land.
The Minns Labor Government is launching this strategic plan to guide future funding from the Trust. This will better protect, restore and improve biodiversity in New South Wales.
The NSW Environmental Trust Strategic Plan 2024 to 2029 will target investment towards:
- restoring ecosystems and biodiversity
- strengthening environmental management
- prioritising healthy Country and recognising and valuing Aboriginal people, their traditional knowledge and practices, and connection to Country.
As part of the commitment, the NSW Government will change legislation to include an Aboriginal person on the Board of the Trust.
From restoring inland waterways to protecting threatened species, from acquiring land for national parks to investing in environmental education, the Trust's remit to protect and restore nature has delivered hundreds of community, industry and not for profit–led projects since 1998.
For example, the Trust is supporting the work of 15 community partner groups, industry and farming groups working on the 10-year River Connections Refreshing Rivers project in the Murray Darling Basin delivered by Murray Local Land Services.
The project is delivering revegetation of riverbanks, better livestock management, fencing to protect riparian zones, and pest removal. It is supporting landholders and the community to increase water quality and river health along more than 320 km of Billabong Creek in the Murray region.
Funding from the Trust is also supporting traditional owners to restore Indigenous and environmental values of The Gully Aboriginal Place. The Gully is one of many upland wetlands in the Blue Mountains that sustained generations of Aboriginal Traditional Owners.
These examples show how Trust funding can leverage broader community support and bring a range of organisations together to take action for nature.
Quote attributable to the Minister for Climate Change and the Environment Penny Sharpe:
'The Minns Labor Government is committed to turning around biodiversity loss and restoring habitats, ecosystems and biodiversity. The Environmental Trust plays a key role in protecting what's left and restoring what has been harmed, in partnership with community organisations and research partners.
'This new strategic plan will ensure the Trust's funding is directed towards the most pressing environmental issues facing New South Wales.
'The Trust is now in its 25th year and in total has delivered $1.34 billion towards environmental projects, partnering with organisations around New South Wales.
'I am looking forward to working with a range of groups to deliver high impact projects.'
The NSW Environmental Trust Strategic Plan 2024-2029 is available online on the Environment and Heritage website.
