PROTECTING LAND FOR GOOD
BioDiversity Legacy was formed with a singular vision – to give landholders, community groups, conservation organisations and donors the ability to secure land for nature and create an enduring environmental legacy for future generations.
Established in 2022, BioDiversity Legacy (BDL) is an independent, not-for-profit organisation working to secure the long-term protection of biodiversity and enable the equitable transfer of land to future generations.
We support a growing movement of individuals, families, communities and organisations who want to ensure that ecologically significant land is protected beyond their lifetimes.
Our pioneering approach enables landholders to transfer land to safe and trusted non-profit organisations dedicated to long-term conservation. This effectively:
Removes land from the property market so it can’t be sold or developed.
Places it in secure, community-led ownership structures with strong legal safeguards.
Guarantees best-practice environmental stewardship for lasting ecological care.
Supports flexible arrangements – landholders and families can remain on the land if they wish or opt for community-based management and stewardship.
How we work
BDL operates across all Australian states and territories, and across all land tenures. We provide clear information, practical pathways and tailored legal and governance packages that enable landholders and communities to establish Local Landholding Entities.
These entities operate independently at local scales and are designed to:
- protect land long term
- support active, long-term stewardship
- enable partnerships between landholders, communities, investors and conservation organisations
- ensure land protection objectives are upheld beyond individual ownership or lifetimes
To strengthen regional impact, BDL employs biolink coordinators who connect projects, support regional biodiversity priorities and build strong relationships between landholders and community-led conservation efforts already delivering results on the ground.
We work with
- private landholders and families
- community groups and trusts
- philanthropic and impact investors
- government agencies
- regional authorities
- conservation organisations
Whether it’s 3 acres or 3,000, we work with anyone with a genuine interest in long-term conservation and seek to find the best solution for you, your family/network and the environment.
A shared responsibility for nature
A 2024 Biodiversity Council report found that 95% of Australians believe governments have a duty of care to protect nature for future generations.
However, with more than 60% of land privately owned or managed, governments cannot achieve this alone. Crucially, around 90% of threatened species occur on private land, making private land stewardship essential to long-term biodiversity protection.
This reality is well understood by landholders like Julie Mills, founder of Ned’s Forest:
“If, as Australians, we wish to maintain connectivity of habitat so species can move across the landscape, we must protect small but important tracts of bushland. We don’t need to own the land; it becomes a pathway where the community bands together to campaign and raise funds to protect the places they love. We are calling on people who are in a position to make financial contributions to the protection of biodiversity for future generations.”
BioDiversity Legacy exists to turn this shared responsibility into practical, lasting action—ensuring that the land people care about today remains protected tomorrow, and far into the future.