4 October 2022
Natural Resource Management (NRM) Regions Australia welcomes Minister Plibersek’s invitation for all Australians to collaborate on the recovery of our threatened species and places through the Government’s new Threatened Species Action Plan 2022-32.
“Targets to prevent any new extinctions and to protect and conserve at least 30% of our land mass are to be lauded”, congratulated NRM Regions Australia CEO, Dr Kate Andrews.
“Across Australia, we have faced the stark impact of climate change and increasing extreme events head on with work underway across the national resource management sector every day to reverse the decline in our environment”, Dr Andrews said.
The Minister’s announcement of the listing of further species and ecological communities in the plan, highlights the ongoing effect of the Black Summer fires and the future faced due to climate change.
NRM Regions Australia welcomes the new targets and wider scope of the plan. Across Australia, we agree that the challenges ahead are substantial, and that we must together accelerate on-ground action, and enhance knowledge, community engagement and awareness to protect our unique wildlife, plants and ecosystems.
Dr Andrews emphasised that “Meeting the ambitious goals of the Action Plan will require a collective boost in resources and investments for protecting our unique natural heritage, across governments, industry and all partners”.
The Action Plan includes a welcome focus on the landscapes and habitats that allow Australian threatened species and communities to thrive. The announcement of 14 new mainland places for priority actions gives a much-needed boost to integrated management of biodiversity across tenures and at multiple scales.
The Plan explicitly supports First Nations-led recovery efforts and the integration of First Nations Knowledges and priorities, an essential step forward. NRM Regions Australia strongly supports the goal of facilitating First Nations-led projects and partnerships across our sector and in wider conservation responses.
NRM regions nationally, are proud contributors to national efforts to protect and recover our threatened species and ecosystems, from managing invasive pests and weeds to supporting community efforts to protect our unique species and special places. We work to connect habitat across tenures, coordinate actions to protect species after natural disasters, and invest in First Nations priorities.
Regional NRM organisations enable on-ground actions that are locally relevant, interconnected, and prioritised. These actions are more likely to endure as they are embedded in communities and integrated with wider values in our landscapes.
The NRM sector is happy to take up the challenge and do more as part of these national efforts. We look forward to working with Minister Plibersek, her colleagues and their departments to implement the plan and ensure its success.
