The Invasive Species Council and Australian Land Conservation Alliance are warning that a failure to commit to ongoing funding for the Saving Native Species program in today’s Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook has pushed Australia’s flagship environmental recovery efforts into a funding ‘valley of death’, leaving nationally significant projects exposed to a damaging and avoidable funding gap.
In September, a coalition of 17 environment, land management and Indigenous groups wrote to the federal Treasurer and Environment Minister to warn that:
‘The current program ($225 million over 3.5 years) will expire in June 2026. This creates a ‘funding cliff’ which would see vital, on-the-ground projects abruptly halted. Such a gap risks undoing years of hard work, prevents the planning and commencement of new, essential work and ultimately will jeopardise the survival of much of Australia’s most vulnerable wildlife. Unless a new funding commitment is made and, importantly, this money is allocated in the Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook (MYEFO), there will be a disruptive and damaging funding gap in 2026.‘
‘Across Australia, the Saving Native Species program funding underpins hundreds of coordinated programs that are actively protecting native wildlife. A delay of even a few months can undo years of progress, and pour millions of dollars down the drain,’ Invasive Species Council CEO Jack Gough said.
‘Whilst the federal government has acknowledged that wildlife recovery and invasive species control needs ongoing investment – today’s budget update has failed to bridge the gap. Instead, critical programs are facing a valley of death with complete uncertainty of what is next.
‘The absence of bridging funding creates immediate uncertainty for programs currently operating under Saving Native Species, limiting their ability to retain skilled staff, secure contractors, and plan treatment and monitoring activities for upcoming seasons.
‘Without certainty, programs tackling invasive species are forced into a holding pattern – and invasive species don’t wait for budgets.
‘Failing to ensure continuity in invasive species funding is a false economy.’
CEO of Australian Land Conservation Alliance Jody Gunn said:
‘Australia is world leading on species extinction, but we have an opportunity and an obligation to lead on species recovery. Policy and funding will be critical to ensure the Threatened Species Action plan to continue to be delivered in forward years.
‘Conservation organisations, first nations peoples and landholders all over Australia are taking action to address the decline of Australia’s threatened species, and they need consistent and targeted funding – today’s MYEFO points us in the direction of accelerating decline, not recovery.’
Media inquiries: (02) 8006 5004
A list of some of the key programs include:
- Yellow crazy ant eradication work in the Cairns and Townsville regions, including the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area
- Gamba grass eradication program in Kakadu and west Arnhem
- Project to save the Yalmy Galaxias, a tiny, endangered Victorian freshwater fish
- Feral animal control in Tasmania’s Midlands and on Bruny Island
- Feral cat control on Kangaroo Island in South Australia
- Invasive species and habitat management in the Blue Mountains
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