Protecting the ecosystems on which we rely

The environment is not an externality; we are enmeshed in it. All systems we rely on—natural or man-made—depend ultimately on thriving eco-systems. Nature is at the start of every supply chain.

That link, however, is being severed. Climate change and human activity are eviscerating biodiversity—here and globally. This is a travesty in itself, but it is also a security risk. We are throttling towards a tipping point at which biodiversity loss cascades into ecological meltdown. At that point, the threat is existential.

Stalling and reversing biodiversity loss is therefore imperative. Australia must redouble efforts to stave off species extinction, coral bleaching, desertification, and deforestation.

To that end, the following policies stand out as priorities:

Institute a recurrent biodiversity census. Effective policy interventions aimed at stalling biodiversity loss must be informed by comprehensive, longitudinal data on the health and prevalence of Australia's flora and fauna.

Tighten controls on deforestation. Australia will look to amend the Environment Protection Biodiversity Conservation Act to ensure stronger protections against land clearing.

Crackdown on illegal fishing. We will enhance our capability to prevent illegal fishing in Australia's territorial waters and Exclusive Economic Zone, including through increased maritime patrols and aerial surveillance.

Review maritime zoning. Australia will immediately move for an independent review of our maritime zoning, ensuring that increasingly fragile marine areas are appropriately protected against fishing, extraction, and other economic activities.

Impose a moratorium on fracking. It is long overdue that we recognise fracking as incompatible with environmental security objectives. Methane leakages, carbon emissions, and ground-water pollution from coal seam gas far outweigh the benefits of these activities. We will therefore impose an immediate ban on all new fracking projects.

Scale up support for the Great Barrier Reef. Many of the drivers of coral bleaching, such as rising ocean temperatures and acidification, have climatic causes. The fate of the Great Barrier Reef therefore largely hinges on global efforts to reduce aggregate emissions. Nevertheless, Australia will look to scale investment into the research and deployment of experimental technologies that may help to mitigate coral bleaching, such as marine cloud brightening.

Rejuvenate waterways. To improve the health of Australia's river systems and waterways, we will develop a grant program aimed at supporting farmers and local governments reduce agricultural run-off; improving farm fencing near waterways; and cleaning up pollution.

Restore habitats. In line with the objectives of the Threatened Species Strategy, Australia will significantly increase funding towards habitat restoration for Australia's endangered species. As part of these efforts, we will expand the culling program for feral cats, re-implement the recently scrapped recovery plans for 176 threatened species, and investigate means of promoting the prevalence of pollinators.