Australian Land Conservation Alliance

ALCA CEO Jody Gunn has been in Canberra at the Australian Committee for IUCN's Restoration Workshop this week, on Ngunnawal Country, where members of the restoration community have been considering ways to build and scale a restoration industry and economy, and help meet the challenge of achieving our national restoration target. Also in Canberra this week, the Australian Government is giving consideration to our environmental laws through the EPBC Act reforms. What was clear over the course of the restoration workshop is that if we continue to degrade our natural assets, the cost of recovery and the impacts on our economy will only increase - and so we urge the Australian Government to think deeply, act strongly and deliver strong nature laws that will protect nature, now, and into the future.

Together with the Responsible Investment Association Australasia (RIAA), we welcome the report of the Senate Inquiry into the Government’s Nature Positive Bills. We support the committee’s recommendation that the legislation be amended to allow for National Environmental Standards to be issued by the Government, and to ensure that the definition for ‘nature positive’ is consistent with international expectations. ALCA CEO Jody Gunn stressed the importance of progressing the law reforms before the Senate: “ALCA supports the establishment of an independent national body as crucial for the successful implementation of a National Environment Standard framework. An independent EPA must also be strong, transparent, and accountable to be effective." RIAA Co-CEO Estelle Parker emphasised the financial significance of nature risks. “This is no longer just an issue for green groups and the environmental lobby. The penny is dropping in boardrooms everywhere: Nature represents a material financial risk to investments including those held in everyday Australians’ retirement savings. The environment must be protected through strong baseline environmental laws, which will level the playing field and provide certainty for investors.” Read the full statement here: https://lnkd.in/gUkh5h63

A heartfelt thanks to everyone who attended last week’s private land conservation forum for landholders. Nearly 100 people came together to share what private land conservation is all about and what it means to landholders. The messages we heard coming through loud and clear was that protecting nature is valued by landholders, and that policy and investment frameworks can help to scale this work. We heard there is a huge amount of expertise, experience and appetite for private land conservation that can be unlocked if we invest more to build and leverage strong communities and networks. There is so much to celebrate about the work that landholders do. ALCA will be reflecting on what we heard and what we learnt and will be taking this feedback to share at #PLC24. We will also use this to help inform our work in advocating for greater government support for land conservation efforts and expanding the impact that private land conservation has for people and nature. A big thanks to: Trust for Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Trust who partnered with us to deliver this event; to the inspirational panelists and field trip hosts for sharing their stories, experiences and learnings - Mark Brettschneider, James Fitzsimons, Alison Southwell, David M. Watson, Bridget Doyle, Steve Matthews, Rhys McCulloch, Karen Tymms, Dean Freeman, Steve Scott, Tim Budge, Lou Bull, Fiona Murdoch, Clare Cannon; and to MC Sarina Locke and session facilitators Jody Gunn, Corinne Proske, Noah Canavan Honeysett and Jessie Panazzolo for drawing out important conversations. We couldn't have made this event happen without the generous support of our sponsors: Bank Australia, Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action, Pew Charitable Trusts, and Charles Sturt University. 

A new statutory Nature Repair Committee has been appointed to advise the Minister for the Environment and Water on biodiversity methods, and integrity of the Nature Repair Market.   The Nature Repair Market will benefit from the expertise and experience of all committee members. Alongside increased government investment, a high integrity nature repair market can help facilitate the financial support needed to maintain and expand the work of the private land conservation sector in halting and reversing nature decline.   ALCA looks forward to its continuing engagement in ensuring the delivery of a high integrity, high quality nature market. https://lnkd.in/gMctYURx

Less than 10 tickets left - grab yours before they all go. See the full program and register here: https://lnkd.in/grZReZBn Supported by Victoria Government, Bank Australia, Pew Charitable Trusts and Charles Sturt University.

ALCA welcomes the passage of The Treasury Laws Amendment (Financial Market Infrastructure and other measures) Bill through Parliament yesterday which provides for the future regulation of nature related financial disclosures.   These disclosures are valuable in understanding how businesses impact and depend on nature and are critical in assessing the long-term sustainability of businesses. Such regulations would provide investors and companies the clarity and certainty to support the shift to net zero emissions, and would enhance Australia's reputation as a choice for international investment.

Protect Beautiful Queensland has announced its policy priorities for the next four years, including a focus on investing in private protected areas. Queensland’s Private Protected Areas Program is a highly successful conservation covenant initiative, with landholders contributing 4.5 million hectares to the national reserve system—about one-third of the total. However, only 8.3% of Queensland is currently designated as a protected area, the lowest percentage of any state in Australia. Private land conservation will be crucial to achieving Queensland’s protected area target of 17% by 2030. The private land conservation sector is ready to scale up efforts but requires appropriate policy and investment support. Supporting landholders in establishing and maintaining private protected areas is a cost-effective approach to conservation. Investing in incentive mechanisms and exempting Queensland’s Nature Refuges from land tax will help expand the private protected area network; currently, Queensland is the only Australian state that imposes land tax on land with a Nature Refuge (conservation covenant). Moreover, it is essential to manage protected areas effectively. Providing support for landholders undertaking land management activities is crucial to ensure these areas are well-managed. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gC9kHTBz

Join the Tasmanian Land Conservancy for a Conservation Science Symposium and hear from researchers and scientists including from the TLC, University of Tasmania, NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Analytical Edge, Nature Glenelg Trust and the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania (NRE Tas). Private land conservation contributes a great deal to global best practice in nature conservation through science, innovation and collaboration and we look forward to taking a deep dive into the science being done by the TLC and its partners across TLC reserves. For those outside of Tasmania, the event will be live-streamed.   Register here: https://lnkd.in/gNbnphYS

Deadline alert: content submissions for Landcare in Focus close September 1. A great opportunity to put your work in front of a large digital audience. Consider submitting a piece on: - Successful landcare programs and land conservation projects on private land - Science based articles focused on innovation in conservation and sustainable agricultural land management - Reflections on landcare initiatives, or on land conservation projects on private land - Projects focused on restoring, enhancing and protecting the natural environment - Stories of personal and community commitment and resilience. Content submission guidelines here:👉🏽https://lnkd.in/gWDNsKfS

Australia's Environment Ministers have set six national targets to support the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, including having degraded areas under effective restoration by 2030. Achieving this requires a detailed, coordinated national plan that prioritizes degraded areas, defines effective restoration, integrates conservation efforts, involves all stakeholders, and uses a 'whole-of-society' approach. The Australian Committee for IUCN’s national ecosystem restoration workshop will gather members, experts, practitioners, First Nations Peoples, and policymakers to identify priorities, gaps, and actions needed for ecosystem restoration in Australia. ALCA is pleased to join Dr Elizabeth Pryde, Jen Ford, Kathryn Eyles and Patrick O'Connor for a panel discussion and workshop on scaling up restoration. Register here: https://lnkd.in/gZA5-s7H