Australian Geographic: Law reform for nature

Australia’s wildlife and ecosystems are iconic, integral to our national identity and loved the world over. But they’re often disregarded, destroyed and are suffering decline at alarming rates. More than 100 species extinct and 2000-plus threatened species and ecological communities: this is Australia’s unenviable conservation record since European colonisation.

The Leadbeater’s possum (Gymnobeliedeus leadbeateri) is one of many animal species that remain at high risk of extinction despite being listed as endangered on the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act for almost a decade. Image credit: Green MPs via Flickr

It might seem a strange thing for a wildlife ecologist to say, but genuine progress for conservation in Australia does not hinge on more science.