The "Blueprint to Repair Australia's Landscapes" is a comprehensive report that outlines a strategic approach for a 30-year investment aimed at restoring the health, productivity, and resilience of Australia's natural landscapes. The report, prepared by the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists, highlights the urgent need for a national effort to repair degraded environments, addressing critical issues such as biodiversity loss, climate change, and soil and water degradation. The blueprint emphasizes the importance of a regionally-based, whole-of-landscape approach that includes Indigenous knowledge and participation. It proposes a suite of 24 practical actions, backed by best available science, which require an annual investment of $7.3 billion over 30 years. These actions are designed to improve the condition of soils, inland waters, native vegetation, threatened species, and coastal environments, with an expected outcome of removing one billion tonnes of CO2 and generating significant economic and environmental benefits. The report also discusses the substantial opportunities presented by carbon markets and other financing mechanisms to support these efforts. Overall, this blueprint aims to catalyze a transformative national repair effort, aligning with Australia's commitments to global biodiversity and climate goals. The Blueprint is presented in three parts: The Blueprint Synthesis Report summarises the case for a 30-year investment in a healthy, productive & resilient Australia. The Blueprint Technical Review identifies objectives across soils, inland waters, native vegetation, threatened species and coastal environments, the repair actions required, the estimated investment for repair and the many benefits of doing so. An Investment Spreadsheet contains the data and algorithms that form the basis of the investment estimates.
Authors
- Pages
- 112
- Published in
- Australia
Table of Contents
- Introduction 13
- The national case for repairing Australia’s landscapes 14
- Approach 19
- Principles underpinning the proposed objectives and actions 19
- An evidence-based approach for assessing actions and investment 20
- Interpreting evidence in this assessment 21
- Limitations and assumptions 23
- Report structure 23
- Soils 24
- The case for repairing degraded soils 24
- Identifying actions and estimating the investment 26
- Objective S1 - Rationale and costing methods 26
- Objective S2 29
- Objective S2 – Rationale and costing methods 29
- Objective S3 30
- Objective S3 – Rationale and costing methods 30
- Operational expenditure 31
- Actions beyond the scope of this assessment 32
- Inland water 34
- The case for repairing degraded river systems 34
- Identifying actions and estimating the investment 35
- Objective R1 36
- Objective R1 – Rationale and costing methods 36
- Objective R2 41
- Objective R2 – Rationale and costing methods 41
- Objective R3 43
- Objective R3 – Rationale and costing methods 43
- Objective R4 47
- Objective R4 – Rationale and costing methods 47
- Operational expenditure 49
- Actions beyond the scope of this assessment 50
- Native vegetation 53
- The case for repairing degraded native vegetation 53
- Identifying actions and estimating the investment 54
- Objective V1 54
- Objective V1 – Rationale & Costing Methods 54
- Objective V2 59
- Objective V2 – Rationale and costing methods 59
- Operational expenditure 60
- Actions beyond the scope of this assessment 61
- Threatened species 63
- The case for saving threatened species 63
- Identifying actions and estimating the investment 64
- Objective T1 64
- Objective T1 – Rationale and costing methods 64
- Operational expenditure 66
- Actions beyond the scope of this assessment 67
- Coastal environments 69
- The case for improving the health of degraded coastal environments 69
- Identifying actions and estimating the investment 70
- Objective C1 71
- Objective C1 – Rationale and costing methods 71
- Operational expenditure 73
- Actions beyond the scope of this assessment 75
- Recommendations 79
- Appendix I: Asset Condition Indicators, State, and Objectives 82
- Appendix II: Assumptions 84
- Appendix III: VAST framework 88
- Appendix IV: Where is the 30% target not achievable? 89
- Appendix V: Overview of conservation finance sources 90
- References 91
