Queensland's Biodiversity Conservation Strategy

The Conserving Nature – a Biodiversity Conservation Strategy for Queensland (PDF, 1.8 MB) (Strategy) sets out the Queensland Government’s vision for the future of biodiversity in the state and outlines the goals and objectives for biodiversity conservation.

The Strategy is an important step towards establishing an integrated and comprehensive whole-of-government conservation strategy. It has been developed in response to the recommendations in the Queensland Audit Office Conserving threatened species report and builds on targeted stakeholder undertaken over the last few years.

The Strategy highlights the state’s commitment to protecting and conserving biodiversity values, addressing the decline in threatened species and connecting people and nature in economic, social and environmental contexts.

The vision is: ‘Nature is actively supported to thrive in Queensland’.

The goals are below with expandable lists that detail the strategies, programs and policies that will contribute to achieving these goals.

Protect Protect and manage Queensland’s biodiversity

• Coastal Management Plan
• Declared Fish Habitat Area Network
• Regulatory Strategy
• Engaging Queenslanders in Science Strategy
• Marine Parks
• National Park Acquisition Program - (Queensland's Protected Area Strategy) (PDF, 5.6MB)
• National Parks and other Protected Areas
• Protected Plants Framework
• Queensland Environmental Offsets Framework
• Queensland’s Protected Area Strategy
• Reef 2050 Long-Term Sustainability Plan
• South East Queensland Koala Conservation Strategy
• Strategy for the Conservation and Management of Queensland’s Wetlands
• Values-based Park Management Framework

Restore and recover Restore and recover ecosystems and species

• Engaging Queenslanders in Science Strategy
• Indigenous Land and Sea Ranger Program
• Land Restoration Fund
• State of the Environment Report
• Threatened Species Program
• Wetlands in the Great Barrier Reef Catchments Strategy

Adapt Support Queensland’s biodiversity to adapt to changing environments

• Engaging Queenslanders in Science Strategy
• Queensland Climate Action Plan 2020–2030
• Queensland Climate Adaptation Strategy

Connect Connect people to biodiversity so they appreciate its values

• Accelerating Science Delivery Innovation
• Biodiversity data tools including, for example, WildNet and Maps Online
• Community Sustainability Action Grants
• DESI Open Data Strategy
• Ecotourism program
• Engaging Queenslanders in Science Strategy
• Gateway Visitor Centres
• Queensland’s Protected Area Strategy
• State of the Environment reports
• WetlandInfo

The Strategy brings together work across Queensland to protect, restore and promote Queensland’s biodiversity through regulation, science and research programs, restoration projects, planning for national parks, state forests and reserves, coastal management and maintaining protected areas.

Next steps

Approaches to monitoring and evaluation will be identified to allow progress reporting and to inform future reviews or amendments of the Strategy.

Biodiversity conservation across Queensland Government

A number of Queensland Government agencies are implementing strategies, programs, projects and other activities that align with the goals of the Biodiversity Conservation Strategy. Some examples include:

• Queensland Feral Pest Initiative – the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF) facilitates the allocation of funding to support cluster fencing arrangements, and other invasive plant, animal control and capacity building projects across Queensland.
• Early warning surveillance program – DAF conducts pest inspections around Brisbane and other regional areas for exotic plant pests as part of a national program.
• Queensland Sustainable Fisheries Strategy: 2017–2027 – DAF sets out their approach for fisheries reform in areas such as sustainable catch limits, impacts on non-target species, improved monitoring and research, and improved engagement.
• Vegetation management framework – the Department of Resources undertakes monitoring, compliance, and enforcement activities, assesses applications and manages development approvals in relation to the clearing of vegetation in Queensland.
• State Planning Policy – the Department of State Development, Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning has identified biodiversity as one of 17 state interests in this policy, and becomes involved in local government planning and development decisions where biodiversity is affected.
• Environmental impact assessment – the Department of Transport and Main Roads carries out assessments to determine the impacts of proposed transport infrastructure projects on the environment, including consideration of impacts on biodiversity.

Investing in Biodiversity across Queensland

The Queensland Government actively invests in partnerships that deliver outcomes for biodiversity as well as progressing priority acquisitions for protected areas, delivering the Land Restoration Fund, and providing Community Sustainability Action grants.

The Queensland Government is also developing its Natural Capital Program, which will facilitate private sector investment in projects that deliver positive environmental outcomes for the state, such as those being achieved by the Queensland Government’s $500 million Land Restoration Fund.

Enquiries about the Strategy can be made via email to biodiversitystrategy@des.qld.gov.au.