Australian Land Conservation Alliance Archives

When Support for Nature Is High, Why Is Funding So Low?

by BDL Team | Apr 19, 2026 | Land protection, Partnerships and collaborations

Australians overwhelmingly support stronger action to protect nature. But new research reveals a stark reality - the funding simply isn’t matching that intent.

The Australian Land Conservation Alliance (ALCA) has, for the first time, systematically analysed how much is actually being spent on nature across Australia. Its Nature Spend Tracker Insights Report reveals a significant and persistent gap between what is needed to protect biodiversity and what is currently being invested.

Even with increased government spending, the shortfall remains substantial. In other words, meeting the scale of the biodiversity crisis will require more than public funding alone. It will depend on a broader mix of investment, including philanthropy, private contributions and community support.

Governments cannot act alone

The Nature Spend Tracker brings together federal, state, territory, philanthropic and private funding to establish Australia’s first national baseline for biodiversity investment. The findings are sobering.

Federal government spending on biodiversity was estimated at $649 million in 2025, with 91% concentrated in just five national programs.

To put that in perspective, it’s less than 0.1% of the budget, and a fraction of what’s needed. At the same time, Australia is estimated to spend $26.3 billion annually on subsidies that harm biodiversity - more than 17 times what is spent protecting it.

State and territory governments contribute a similar amount, around $635 million per year.

However, this figure includes a mix of biodiversity protection, environmental management and compliance activities, meaning the portion directly benefiting biodiversity is likely lower.

Against this, the scale of need is clear. The report estimates that Australia requires around $8.3 billion every year simply to protect and repair environmental damage - and this does not include the long-term costs of managing and restoring landscapes. Taken together, these figures point to a profound funding gap.

The role of philanthropy

Philanthropy is often seen as a way to help bridge this gap. Yet its current contribution to environmental protection remains relatively small. Data from the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission suggests that around $250 million is raised annually by environmental non-profits.

According to the Australian Environmental Grantmakers Network, however, less than 4% of total philanthropic giving in Australia (and internationally) goes to the environment.

This reveals a disconnect; while Australians care deeply about nature, only a small proportion of charitable giving is directed toward protecting it.

Where organisations like BioDiversity Legacy fit

More than 60% of Australia’s landmass is privately owned or managed. Many threatened species depend on habitats outside national parks and public reserves, making private land conservation essential.

This is where organisations like BioDiversity Legacy play a critical role. By working with landholders, communities and donors, BioDiversity Legacy helps create pathways to permanently protect and restore ecologically-significant land. This work directly addresses the gap between widespread public support for nature and the resources required to safeguard it.

Turning support into impact

The findings from ALCA’s research make one thing clear - governments cannot meet this challenge alone. But there is a pathway forward. Through a combination of public investment, philanthropy and community action, it is possible to close the gap and secure meaningful, long-term outcomes for nature.

For those looking to contribute, supporting organisations like BioDiversity Legacy is one way to turn concern into action. Even modest contributions can help protect critical landscapes and the species that depend on them - now and into the future.

Help close the gap for nature. Donate to BioDiversity Legacy today.

Empowering Landholders and Communities: Reflections from the 2025 ALCA Conference

by BDL Team | Oct 15, 2025 | Events and talks, Partnerships and collaborations

In October, BioDiversity Legacy joined landholders, Traditional Owners, scientists, and conservation organisations from around the country at the 2025 Australian Land Conservation Alliance Conference, held in Gimuy (Cairns).

The conference theme - Scaling Up: Local Action for Global Solutions - echoed what drives our work at BioDiversity Legacy every day: empowering and facilitating landholders and communities to protect the land they love - from early steps in land stewardship to formal and lasting protection.

Shared purpose and momentum

The Australian Land Conservation Alliance (ALCA) is the national peak body for organisations working in private land conservation, bringing together people who are actively restoring and safeguarding nature on privately managed land. This year’s event created a powerful space for sharing knowledge, building partnerships and exploring innovative models for long-term protection.

BioDiversity Legacy was proud to be announced as one of ALCA’s newest member organisations, alongside the National Landcare Network - a milestone that reflects our growing role in this national movement (see the full list of ALCA members here).

Contributing to the conversation

BioDiversity Legacy staff were delighted to play an active role in the Land Conservation Forum for Landholders on Tuesday, 7 October, with our Head of Conservation Engagement & Partnerships, Dixie Fitzclarence, co-presenting a session with Andrew and Angus Cleary from Nuggan Sanctuary, who shared their family’s inspiring conservation journey and their work to secure lasting protection for their land.

BioDiversity Legacy's Far North Queensland Biolink Coordinator, Keith Smith (who is also involved in Queensland’s Private Protected Area Program), participated in the Ask an Expert session, offering insights into land management and conservation practices.

"The week was filled with insight and connection. MC Sean Dooley kept spirits high and Peter Garrett’s closing remarks left the room energised for the road ahead. We left Cairns inspired and looking forward to reconnecting with everyone in Lutruwita/Tasmania next October for ALCA26 and in Naarm/Melbourne for the 2027 International Land Conservation Network Global Congress,” said Dixie.

Biolink Coordinator recognised as a trusted voice for nature

by BDL Team | Jul 22, 2025 | Land connection, Media releases, Stewardship

Congratulations to BioDiversity Legacy South Gippsland Biolink Coordinator, Stuart Inchley, who has been selected to join an august list of conservation experts in the new Nature Media Centre, a joint project of the BioDiversity Council, Pew Charitable Trusts and the Australian Land Conservation Alliance.

The Nature Media Centre was recently established as a 'non-partisan resource’ to give journalists access to conservation experts working in areas as diverse as regenerative farming, art and design, land management, ecology, urban planning, academia, citizen science, Indigenous knowledge and even ‘astrotourism’.

Many of these individuals do not have high media profiles yet are highly influential in their local communities and are doing amazing things on the ground. As such, they are well placed to provide insights into the challenges and complexities of environmental protection and management.

In his capacity as Biolink Coordinator, Stuart is connecting landholders – many of whom are working in isolation – across South Gippsland, strengthening communities willing to restore and protect habitat on private land.

With partner Victoria, Stuart also looks after a 300-acre covenant-protected property, Tarwin River Forest, in South Gippsland. The property, which is home to many rare and threatened species such as the Gang-gang Cockatoo, Pilotbird and Strzelecki Burrowing Crayfish, has a significant population of Critically Endangered Slender Tree-ferns in some magnificent cool temperate rainforest gullies.

Stuart and Victoria have first-hand experience of the personal and financial challenges of stewarding private property for conservation, including threats from forestry, climate change and feral animals.

They regularly bring the community together for events on the property, where they share their experiences, their love of these landscapes, community-led solutions and active hope.

Stuart joins Diana Droog, secretary of Land Covenantors Victoria, in the Nature Media Centre as a trusted voice for private land conservation.

We look forward to what Stuart, Diana and others have to say in the coming months as they shine a light on Australia’s unfolding environmental crisis and help newsmakers tell compelling stories that educate and inspire action.