Australia’s Biodiversity Funding Lags, Experts Say
Why this is here: The article references past bipartisan success with environmental programs, specifically noting the Hawke government’s establishment of Landcare as a national movement.
Australia currently invests less than 0.1 percent of its federal budget in on-ground biodiversity programs. The Invasive Species Council argues this funding level is insufficient given increasing threats from invasive species, fires, and floods. The author points to past successes under the Hawke and Howard governments with programs like Landcare and the Natural Heritage Trust.
Funding for the Saving Native Species program will expire in June, and its continuation is uncertain. The National Environmental Science Program’s impact is limited by inconsistent government implementation of research findings.
The author calls for a minimum one billion dollar increase to biodiversity investment in the 2025-26 federal budget. Such investment could also benefit farmers through landscape repair and improved resource management.