Leaders from Australia’s environment sector have delivered a set of recommendations to the government ahead of its three-day economic roundtable this week.
The recommendations followed an environmental economic reform roundtable convened on Friday by the environment sector, in response to concerns over the lack of environmental input into the Treasurer’s Canberra event.
The roundtable was attended by CEOs and policy leaders from 25 organisations with key roles in nature conservation and land management in Australia, including Greening Australia, the Indigenous Desert Alliance, the North Australian Land and Sea Management Alliance, the Biodiversity Council, the Australian Wildlife Conservancy, WWF Australia, The Nature Conservancy Australia, Landcare Australia and NRM Regions Australia.
Despite the environment underpinning Australia’s GDP and export earnings, there will only be minimal representation at the Canberra event, which aims to build consensus on strategies to boost productivity, enhance economic resilience, and strengthen budget sustainability.
Australian Land Conservation Alliance CEO Dr Jody Gunn said other industry groups had been engaged in earlier roundtables to feed into the Treasury discussions and agenda. “The environment sector had encouraged the Minister for Environment and Water Murray Watt’s office to hold or co-host a discussion, and whilst this was not taken up, we were pleased to have a representative from Minister Watt’s office attend Friday’s roundtable.”
“Nature’s economic role is too important to leave out of national reform conversations. If we ignore nature, productivity suffers. If we invest in the solutions it brings, we all win — with stronger regional economies, better disaster resilience, and healthier communities.”
Among the recommendations are calls for stronger laws for nature that underpin long-term economic growth, a review of tax settings to incentivise conservation and environmental restoration activities, the need to embed connection with Country and draw upon the knowledge and relationship Indigenous Australians have with the land, and workforce planning for the environment sector.
Environment leaders warn that without nature-based investment and reform, the ongoing decline of our natural capital—soil, water, native vegetation, and biodiversity—will erode productivity, economic growth, and disaster resilience.
Dr Gunn emphasised, “Nature is essential economic infrastructure and through the roundtable recommendations, the environment sector is highlighting the need for it to have a key seat at the table for sustainable economic reform.”
“We’ll continue advancing nature-based solutions, delivering results on the ground, and working to make sure it is part of the broader economic reform conversation.”
“Failing to seize this opportunity would be outdated thinking: the economy does not exist in isolation from the natural world that sustains it.”
Key asks:
- Put nature at the heart of economic planning and reform
Governments should treat nature like any other critical economic asset — forecasting how the loss of forests, waterways, soils, and wildlife will impact jobs, exports, and the cost of living.
- Invest in nature and make it easier for others to do the same
We need more funding from both government and business to protect and restore nature. That means direct investment, smarter policies, and reforms that unlock private capital — without letting governments off the hook.
- Stop paying for damage, start funding solutions
Right now, public money is still flowing to activities that harm nature. Governments should phase out these harmful subsidies and redirect them into projects that regenerate ecosystems and support long-term prosperity.
- Strengthen and enforce the laws that protect nature
Environmental laws must be clear, consistent, and properly enforced. That includes finishing national reforms, resourcing regulators, and creating an independent agency to ensure transparency, accountability, and certainty.
- Back solutions that work for people, climate, and Country
Nature, climate, and people are deeply connected. Supporting Indigenous-led land and sea management, aligning climate and biodiversity policies, and ensuring environmental markets deliver real, lasting benefits, is critical.
See Communique for full recommendations
Additional quotes
Attributable to Barry Hunter, CEO, North Australian Indigenous Land and Sea Management Alliance
“If we are serious about delivering outcomes for people, climate, and Country, we have to make sure Indigenous-led land and sea management has the resources to meet real needs on the ground. Indigenous Protected Areas are not just a conservation success story, they are vital to climate resilience, biodiversity protection, and creating lasting economic opportunities in regional and remote communities – but every day, ranger groups are having make a decision between putting their budget into on-ground management, or fueling equipment. IPAs benefit everyone, but the needs on the ground to actually manage them have to be recognised, wth the policy to back that in.
Attributable to Tim Nicol, Australian Director, The Pew Charitable Trusts
“Nature is critical infrastructure for our economy but underinvestment has left us facing multiple crises. We have the solutions – nature-based programs that will protect nature and restore, support and grow economies, particularly in regional areas. But nature has been systematically underfunded at the federal level. The good news is that better funding for the environment could also boost the productivity of our lands and workforce and enhance the wellbeing of all Australians from the cities to most remote parts of our continent.”
Attributable to Dr James Fitzsimons, Senior Advisor: Global Protection, The Nature Conservancy
“Well-designed environment laws are critical to provide societal confidence that our natural environment will be protected, but also offer the stability and certainty business is looking for.”
Attributable to Heather Campbell, CEO, Greening Australia
“To ensure that environmental markets deliver real benefits for nature, people, and the economy, we must lean in with clear rules, public and private investment, and a willingness to learn and adapt. They have a role to play, but they must work alongside public funding, First Nations leadership, and climate action to deliver real, lasting benefits for Country, communities, and the economy.”
Attributable to Jack Gough, CEO, Invasive Species Council:
“Boosting government funding for practical environmental action can spark a wildlife revival, restore degraded rivers and landscapes and stop the spread of pests and weeds.
“This needs to be accompanied by workforce planning in the environment and biosecurity sector to address capacity gaps, longer term funding for projects and a focus on prevention and early intervention.
“When it comes to environment action, governments keep building half a bridge and then wondering why we can’t make serious progress.
“Let’s get smarter and stop waiting for threats like feral animals or erosion to get out of control before governments fund action. This will save money, save species and build hope.”
