Catchment Credits

Each site is independently verified by a DEECA-accredited Habitat Hectare Assessor through on-ground assessments. These assessments use geo-referenced plots which, together with site-specific biodiversity surveys, provide an overall measure of biodiversity condition and improvement. Plots are reassessed at a minimum of five-year intervals, with additional surveys undertaken where required to monitor threatened species.

From the initial assessment, an overall habitat score is established for each site. Catchment then prepares a science-based, action-focused management report outlining how the site’s score will be improved over defined time periods. Progress is verified through further independent assessor reports.

All stewardship funds received are allocated immediately to a dedicated, interest-earning stewardship fund. Payments from this fund are released in accordance with the management report, or upon further approval from the project’s independent assessor and Catchment’s board if ecological circumstances change. This process safeguards the integrity of each biodiversity credit.

Each Catchment biodiversity credit is permanently retired once allocated and cannot be resold. Full transparency of ownership is provided through independent mapping using the Mapbox™ platform.

Catchment is a not-for-profit conservation organisation. One hundred percent of funds received are applied directly to projects, with operating costs covered through expert volunteer support or by donations.

All sites must have permanent protection in place, such as covenants with Trust for Nature or other legally secured, government-recognised mechanisms.

A portion of Catchment Credits funding may be retained for strategic purposes that include land acquisition to enhance a sites habitat corridors or capital works such as major ecological restoration or bushfire recovery.

A percentage of each credit is also allocated to Traditional Owner partners to support On-Country projects.

As a further safeguard, if any project after repeated interventions does not meet our ongoing improvement criteria funding to that site will cease. Or, if specific projects funds exceed a sites requirement they too are allocated to other approved conservation project sites to continue ecological works further safeguarding your biodiversity credit.

Catchment Credits are available either as biodiversity credits (suited to businesses) or as fully tax-deductible donations for individual supporters.

The Catchment biodiversity credits platform is also available, at no fee, to not-for-profit groups working in highly threatened landscapes. In these cases, Catchment passes through 100% of funds received to the project. Applications are open for eligible groups.