What the Cumberland Plain Conservation Plan means for your land
We have revised the CPCP's mapping to address feedback received from landholders and other stakeholders during public exhibition. We have also updated the mapping by increasing the width of koala corridors, so the CPCP is consistent with advice from the Office of the NSW Chief Scientist & Engineer.
For more information on land categories and how we have responded to landholder feedback read the What we heard report (PDF, 6.3 MB).
Talk to a planner
If you are a landholder, you can contact a planner at [email protected] or phone 02 9585 6060 between 9.30 am to 4.30 pm weekdays.
For translating and interpreting services: Phone 13 14 50 and ask for an interpreter in your language to connect you to 02 9585 6060. When connected please ask to speak to the Cumberland Plain Conservation team.
Landowner counselling service
A free, confidential telephone counselling service is available to all CPCP landowners. AccessEAP is an Australian owned and not-for-profit organisation that will provide landowners with general counselling, financial, and other specialist services over the phone.
If you need access to this service, phone 1800 818 728 and advise the operator you are looking for counselling offered for the CPCP landowners.
Existing zoning maintained
The CPCP maintains existing zoning for avoided land. The CPCP will use planning controls on avoided land to provide flexibility around uses, while still protecting important biodiversity. To find out more about the planning controls for avoided land, visit planning controls.
CPCP spatial map
The Department has developed a spatial map to help landholders and other stakeholders to view the final CPCP mapping. Through the spatial map, landholders can easily view the final CPCP mapping for their property by using the spatial map’s search function (to find property or lot number) and view relevant information at property scale.
Watch the tutorial video and read the spatial map glossary (PDF, 87 KB) to help you use the spatial map.
Modification of the CPCP
A landowner affected by the CPCP can request the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces to prepare an application for a minor modification of the biodiversity certification mapping (avoided land and certified urban capable land) that applies to their land. This request by the landowner is called a modification request. The process for a modification request is set out in the State Environmental Planning Policy (Biodiversity and Conservation) 2021 (B&C SEPP).
The landowner makes an application for a modification request to the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces. If that request is approved, the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces then makes an application to the Minister for the Environment to modify the biodiversity certification.
Applications for the first round of modification requests made to the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces closed in June 2023.
Further opportunities for landowners to make an application for a modification request will be opened at a later date.
Frequently asked questions
Landowners wishing to be considered for inclusion as part of a modification application, by the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces to the Minister for the Environment, need to demonstrate how their proposal meets certain criteria and other relevant considerations.
The Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure has prepared a policy that outlines the relevant criteria and other relevant considerations that will be used to determine if an application is suitable for inclusion in a modification application to the Minister for the Environment.
The Minister for Planning and Public Spaces may decide to approve or refuse a modification request from a landowner based on how the request fulfils the criteria in the policy.
If accepted, the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces makes an application to the NSW Minister for the Environment to modify the biodiversity certification.
The Minister for the Environment is responsible for making the final determination on the modification.
Read the policy – considerations for determining modification requests (PDF, 228 KB).
There are fees associated with processing and assessing modification requests to the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, though the application fee may be waived in some circumstances.
The Department has prepared a short policy outlining the fees and the circumstances in which fees may be waived or refunded as part of the modification process.
Read the policy – considerations for waiving or refunding fees for modification requests (PDF, 82 KB).
If the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces approves a modification request, the Department must prepare a revised biodiversity certification assessment report (BCAR) as part of the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces’ application to modify the biodiversity certification of the CPCP.
The Department will publicly exhibit the revised BCAR report before it is submitted by the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces to the Minister for Environment.
The Department is currently aiming to public exhibit the revised BCAR by mid-2025.
Only parties to the CPCP may apply to the NSW Minister for the Environment for a modification. Landowners are not parties to the CPCP. The Minister for Planning and Public Spaces is a party, however, and can apply on behalf of landowners.