Australia
Location
Australian biodiversity loss is a significant issue, and the Commonwealth Government has committed to environmental law reform to prevent further declines.
We are identifying opportunities for improving conservation planning and approval processes for species and ecological communities listed as threatened and migratory under national law.
There is a strong focus on those at risk from proposed development projects, such as infrastructure, mining, or agricultural expansion.
Key points
Improving outcomes for threatened and migratory species and threatened ecological communities
Gallery
Research leads
Environmental law reform to protect Australian biodiversity
Australian native species populations and their habitats are declining. More than 2,000 species and ecological communities are considered threatened, and existing laws have not been able to stop or reverse these losses.
The Commonwealth Government has committed to environmental law reform to improve biodiversity conservation outcomes.
This reform will also involve revising statutory documents for species and ecological communities listed as threatened, as well as species listed as migratory or marine, under national law.
Understanding how these species and ecological communities have been considered during the environmental approvals process can inform the reform process.
Investigating species and ecological communities to strengthen national law
Our team is collaborating with the Department for Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water (DCCEEW) to improve Australia’s environmental planning and approval processes under national law.
The team is investigating the ~2,000 species and ecological communities listed as threatened, migratory or marine. This includes the endangered 'Brigalow' ecological community, and species such as the koala, the growling grass frog, four species of black cockatoos, and over 1,300 plants. There is a focus on those at higher risk from proposed development projects, such as infrastructure, mining, or agricultural expansion, based on historical records of such proposals.
Our collaborative role includes:
Analysing how these species and ecological communities are currently considered in environmental assessments.
Using public and internal government databases, and workshops with government officers, to gain insights into how species and ecological communities have been considered during the statutory environmental assessments and approval processes.
Identifying opportunities for improvement.
Our partnership with the DCCEEW guarantees that our findings will inform future policy and regulatory measures.
Project details
This project is led by Emeritus Professor Helene Marsh, with Dr Mélanie Hamel (TropWATER, JCU) and Dr Josie Carwardine (CSIRO). The project is funded by the National Environmental Science Program’s Resilient Landscapes Hub.
