Australia risks falling short of its global pledge to protect 30 per cent of the country’s land by 2030, with a new national review warning the biggest challenge isn’t just how much land is safeguarded, but whether it includes the ecosystems and species most at risk.
Thu 22 Oct 2026 09.51 AEDT
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Australia risks falling short of its global pledge to protect 30 per cent of the country’s land by 2030, with a new national review warning the biggest challenge isn’t just how much land is safeguarded, but whether it includes the ecosystems and species most at risk.
Despite a growing network of national parks and conservation areas, the review highlighted research showing 160 threatened species had less than one per cent of their known range within protected areas, while 39 critically endangered species had none.
“The greatest risk now to Australia meeting its promise is not the number of hectares protected, but whether Australia will protect the ecosystems most important for biodiversity,” said Dr James Fitzsimons, the review’s lead author and senior advisor for global protection strategies at The Nature Conservancy.
“We now need to make sure new protected areas reach the species and landscapes that need them most.”
Australia was one of 196 countries to commit to the global biodiversity pledge in 2022, which includes the target commonly known as 30×30.
Since then, its protected area network has grown from 22 per cent to 25 per cent of the continent, marking a significant milestone.
However, at least, another 34.3 million hectares of biodiverse land must be added to meet its target, alongside efforts to address major gaps in protecting “overlooked” vulnerable native animals, plants and ecosystems.
Review co-author Paul Sheridan, a project director at the Pew Charitable Trusts, said Australia has the mechanisms to meet the target but would need substantially greater investment.
“Nature needs 1 per cent of the federal budget – about $5 billion a year – to recover and thrive into the future,” he said.
“That is what the scientific evidence tells us, yet current investment in protecting our natural environment is less than a tenth of what is required.”
He welcomed the Australian Bushland Program, established in 2025 with $250 million over five years, although the review found only about $100 million had been committed to projects so far.
Associate Professor Hedley Grantham from UNSW’s Centre for Ecosystem Science said better planning was needed to close the gap between Australia’s commitments and what was happening on the ground.
A new UNSW-led paper published in Nature Reviews Biodiversity warned that global conservation targets could remain out of reach unless nature stopped being “treated as an afterthought” in decisions about housing, infrastructure, agriculture, energy, mining and conservation.
“Australia has signed up to these targets but is not on track to meet them,” Associate Professor Grantham said.
“Nor are we using all the tools we have available. Biodiversity needs to be considered
Quality research, analysis, explainers and factchecks from experts you can trust.
early in planning decisions, using the best available evidence.
“This isn’t about creating another layer of planning red tape. It’s about making existing
processes work together.”
A new national survey has also revealed overwhelming public support for Australia meeting its international commitments.
The survey commissioned by the Biodiversity Council found 95 per cent of respondents believed it was important for the country to uphold its international obligations.
It also found 96 per cent believed more action was needed to look after Australia’s natural environment.
Biodiversity Council CEO Jack Rejtman said the findings showed Australians viewed 30 by 30 as a “commitment to be delivered, not simply an aspiration”.
“Protecting nature is essential to Australia’s health, prosperity and way of life,” he said.
“The government has an obligation to ensure 30 per cent of every major ecosystem is protected and well managed – not just those that are cheap or easy to protect.”
“Governments now need to match that support with the sustained funding and action required to protect nature for the long term,” said Jason Lyddieth from the 30×30 Alliance.
Conservation groups say the 2027-28 federal budget will be a crucial test of the government’s commitment, with significantly more funding needed to reach the 2030 target.
The review calls for a dedicated $5 billion fund to purchase land of high biodiversity for new public, private and Indigenous protected areas.
It also recommends expanding Indigenous Protected Areas and securing long-term funding for their management and a systematic review of public land to identify areas of high conservation value.
“The next four years must turn commitments and early investment into protection at the scale required,” said Dr Fitzsimons.
“That means not only adding hectares, but protecting the species habitats, ecosystems and landscapes most at risk.”
