Here is a summary of the NSW Biodiversity Outlook Report 2024, along with the implications for our work at Landcare in NSW, where we work with many private land owners and managers. Threatened Species and Ecological Communities: Listed threatened species expected to survive in 100 years declined from 52% in 2012 to 50% in 2022. About 43% of these species may be lost if current threats persist without effective management. Conservation Management: Areas permanently managed for conservation have increased to 11.2% of NSW as of June 2023. Also, community appreciation of biodiversity shows cognitive and affective understanding around 66-68%, but actual engagement in biodiversity-supportive activities is low at 38%. The report also highlights the significant role of private land in improving biodiversity through conservation efforts. Here are some key points from the report regarding private land. Private Land Conservation Agreements: The report emphasises the importance of private land conservation agreements, which are crucial for protecting biodiversity on private properties. These agreements allow private landowners to engage in conservation activities that contribute to the overall ecological health and biodiversity of the region. Ecological Monitoring for Private Conservation: The Biodiversity Conservation Trust (BCT) manages private land conservation programs and uses the Ecological Monitoring Module to assess and monitor the ecological outcomes of these programs. This module is designed to gather data on biodiversity and evaluate the effectiveness of conservation efforts on private lands. The report mentions that approximately 1,400 permanent survey plots are distributed across various vegetation types on private conservation sites, providing valuable data for understanding the condition and conservation outcomes of these areas. Contribution to Biodiversity: Private land plays a critical role in the broader conservation landscape by providing habitats that support a variety of plant and animal species. The conservation measures implemented on private lands are integral to maintaining biodiversity and ecological connectivity across New South Wales. Support and Incentives for Landowners: The report suggests that support and incentives for landowners to participate in conservation programs are vital. These programs not only help conserve biodiversity but also promote sustainable land management practices that benefit both the environment and the landowners. See the report and more details of the program here: https://bit.ly/4buzZAW NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water Biodiversity Conservation Trust Landcare NSW Local Land Services Parliament of NSW
Grant Arthur
7mo
With no real effort or $ allocated in the recent budget it falls on private equity and landowners to do the heavy lifting once again. Whilst private involvement is a key component for building resilience into ecosystems, it isn't enough on its own without greater national commitment and investment. It's not like we can just get onto solving this later. We can't bring back extinct species, or rebuild collapsed ecosystems and their processes. Kudos to BCT, Landcare and others for shouldering the load, especially the hard working staff, landowners, volunteer groups and community. But at the scale we need to address this (Gov/policy) it's a hard fail. Time to assess and prioritise values that are not GDP.
environmental sciences, eco-literacy interventions, scientific communication (PhD, MEnvSc)
7moA remarkable achievement to totally avoid mentioning pesticide pollution given the extensive coverage of so-called 'invasive species' ... what do you use to kill invasive species with ... is there correlated escalation of environmental pollution that also kills our biodiversity? Are there non-chemical management methods we should be moving towards? One thing we can say for sure is that NSW have no idea about any of these issues as they do not consider pesticide use to be within scope of what they will consider. It's called industry capture ... even in the biodiversity department ... shocking.