Right now, less than 0.1% of Australia’s federal budget goes towards protecting nature - despite nature directly contributing over $100 billion to the Australian economy every year.
We want to change this.
We are part of a national campaign calling on the Australian Government to increase funding for nature to 1% of the federal budget, to fulfil Australia’s global 30x30 commitment.
Why one per cent?
Nature in numbers:
Approximately 50% of Australia’s GDP has a ‘moderate to very high dependence’ on nature, meaning a healthy environment is fundamental to the Australian economy.
The federal government spends 16x more on subsidies for oil and gas companies than it does on protecting nature.
1% of the federal budget equates to $6-7 billion and top scientists say this funding would be sufficient to:
- Stop species extinctions in Australia
- Protect and manage 30% of Australia’s land and waters
- Restore Australia's degraded landscapes
What is the 30x30 commitment?
In 2022, Australia signed a global pledge, alongside 196 other countries, to protect and conserve 30% of its landmass and 30% of its marine areas by 2030.
Currently, Australia protects 22% of its landmass and 24% of its waters are in ‘highly protected’ areas. The Australian Government will need to step-up its funding for nature to 1% if it’s serious about reaching its 2030 target.
Nature needs this level of protection in Australia.
Australia is consistently ranked as one of the worst countries in the world for biodiversity loss and has the highest extinction rate of mammals in the world.
What does this mean for Lutruwita / Tasmania?
The natural world in Lutruwita / Tasmania is abundant and diverse. This extraordinary natural heritage attracts over a million visitors to the state each year - with tourism contributing billions to the state's economy.
Yet, Tasmania’s Government is failing to adequately fund nature protection and the state’s environment is in widespread decline. Federal funding is also limited - with funding cuts harming the environment and the groups dedicated to protecting nature in Tasmania.
To protect Tasmania’s environment and nature groups, we must secure an increase in federal funding. With 1% of the federal budget committed to nature, we can start to halt nature's decline on Mainland Australia and Tasmania.