In Northern Australia, Conservation Helps Nature and People

Queensland, a state in northeast Australia, stands as a testament to the country’s natural and cultural diversity. With 85% of Australia’s native mammals, 72% of its native birds, and more than half of its reptiles and frogs, Queensland boasts a level of biodiversity unparalleled on the continent. The state is also home to many First Nations groups who have stewarded their lands and waters for millennia.

Unfortunately, Queensland’s outstanding natural and cultural landscapes face multiple threats—from inappropriate development, invasive species, overexploitation, climate change, and other factors—and state and federal governments must do more to protect these treasures.

And this is a place worthy of protection, with 1,049 species classified as threatened under Queensland’s Nature Conservation Act 1992, many of which—such as the iconic northern hairy-nosed wombat or palm cockatoo—are endemic to this state.

Queensland's forests, woodlands and savannahs harbour a remarkable diversity of wildlife adapted to myriad climactic conditions. This diversity is showcased in the cacophony of bird calls in a tropical rainforest, the tiny mammals that skitter across arid woodlands, and the emu and kangaroo mobs that roam the savannah.   

Science shows that every species in these habitats is critical to the balance of the ecosystem and that allowing natural areas to degrade has negative effects on people—for example, a proliferation of invasive plants can fuel wildfires that limit the native forest’s ability to sequester and store carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. In fact, due in part to poor protection and management, some of Australia’s ecosystems are already showing signs of collapse.

Queensland’s First Nations peoples are increasingly asserting their rights to lead in designing, implementing ad managing protected areas, and The Pew Charitable Trusts’ Australia team supports those efforts. Many Indigenous groups manage vast tracts of land—for example, through prescribed burning that reduces available fuel for wildfires and eradicating invasive species and pests, practices that are essential for maintaining and restoring the health of Queensland's diverse ecosystems, which also include desert landscapes, coastal mangroves and rocky escarpments.

Currently, a mere 8.3% of the state is protected, marking the lowest percentage of any state in Australia—another indicator that the Queensland Government must take immediate and comprehensive action to preserve more of this remarkable state. It can do this by continuing to expand public, private and Indigenous-owned protected areas.

In 2021, the Queensland Government released its Protected Area Strategy 2020-2030, providing an overarching policy to effectively double the state’s protected areas. This was followed by one of the single largest budget allocations for the acquisition of land for new national parks—a commitment of AUD$301 million to expand protected areas on Cape York (AUD$38.5m) and the rest of Queensland (AUD$262.5m). Since 2021, nearly 2.5 million acres have either been formally protected or acquired and set aside as future national parks.  

The formal transfer of land from government back to local First Nations people, combined with programs designed to support and bolster cultural practices, is critically important today. The landmark Cape York Peninsula Tenure Resolution Program in far northern Queensland exemplifies a pioneering approach to creating Indigenous owned and jointly managed national parks, promoting a model of consent-based negotiation and co-management that has led to significant conservation achievements and socio-economic benefits.

For example, on Cape York Peninsula—one of the best protected regions in Australia—many Indigenous organisations have generated revenue and employment from both the return of land and the management of protected areas. Examples include carbon sequestration, tourism, fee-for-service land management (fencing, invasive species control, fire management), water quality monitoring and threatened species recovery.

The Private Protected Area Program further exemplifies the collaborative spirit of Queensland's conservation efforts, integrating private landholders into the broader mission of environmental protection. The program, while currently underfunded, offers a pathway for landowners to contribute to the conservation of high-value ecosystems, showcasing the potential of private-public partnerships in achieving conservation goals.

In addition to expanding protected areas, there is a pressing need to enhance the management and funding of existing reserves. Strengthening the regulatory framework to prevent illegal activities and ensuring the sustainable management of resources within these areas are crucial steps toward helping them thrive in the future. The integration of traditional knowledge and conservation science with policy development can lead to more informed decision-making processes, optimizing the allocation of resources and maximizing conservation outcomes.

Pew and our partners have been pivotal in raising the Queensland Government’s ambition to invest in and scale up protected area growth and management. A key part of our strategy has been to build collaborative partnerships with others, such as the tourism industry and the outdoor recreational sector, underpinning and bolstering our work with First Nations organisations.

By including the community in the human-centric values of conservation, we are witnessing a rapidly growing constituency of support for our goal of doubling Queensland’s protected areas—a key step on the journey towards protecting 30 percent of Australia by 2030. Public awareness campaigns, educational programs, and community-based conservation projects can enhance understanding of the value of biodiversity and the importance of protected areas. Encouraging citizen science initiatives and volunteerism in conservation activities can also increase community engagement and provide valuable data to support conservation efforts.

Queensland's approach to conservation must be adaptive and resilient to the impacts of climate change. Developing strategies that enhance ecosystem resilience and protect biodiversity in a rapidly warming world will be vital. This includes prioritizing the conservation of climate refugia—areas that are expected to remain relatively stable despite climate change—and implementing restoration projects that increase the adaptive capacity of ecosystems.

Queensland’s rich tapestry of wildlife, habitat and ancient cultures deserves adequate protection. By embracing innovative conservation strategies, fostering partnerships across all sectors of society, and ensuring the integration of traditional knowledge and scientific research, Queensland will make significant strides towards safeguarding its natural and cultural heritage for future generations.

Andrew Picone works on The Pew Charitable Trusts’ protecting Australia’s nature project in the state of Queensland.