The Banks Peninsula Conservation Trust (BPCT) was formed in 2001. It is a non-profit charitable organisation that works with landowners, agencies, runanga, sponsors, and the wider community to promote the conservation and enhancement of indigenous biodiversity and sustainable land management on Banks Peninsula.

The Trust was formed as a community-driven organisation to facilitate the protection of biodiversity on private land using voluntary methods. This was following a mediated settlement of land-owner appeals to the Environment Court regarding the then Banks Peninsula District Council's decisions to impose rules about biodiversity protection on private land. In 2003 the Minister of Conservation granted BPCT covenanting authority status under Section 77(1) of the Reserves Act 1997, making the Trust the first non-government organisation to place covenants on to land titles since the QEII National Trust began over 40 years ago.

Recognised nationally by the Ministry for Environment, Department of Conservation, and Ministry for Primary Industries with awards for community leadership in conservation and biosecurity, the Trust is known as a highly successful, community-driven conservation organisation and a leader in biodiversity protection.

The wide-spread community support for BPCT’s conservation efforts are the result of: (a) working with landowners in a non-challenging and empowering way through voluntary protection methods; and (b) operating in a collaborative way that engages the community and provides the linkages between community aspirations for biodiversity protection and enhancement, partnership and funding support from the corporate sector, and the local authorities and agencies with a mandate for conservation work.

All of the Trust’s activities are underpinned by the 2050 Ecological Vision for Banks Peninsula/Te Pātaka o Rākaihautū.