Ask our MPs to support landholders who protect and care for vital wildlife habitat

Now, more than ever, Queensland’s native wildlife needs our help. 

Nearly one thousand species in our state are threatened with extinction and - unless we act fast - we stand to lose many of them forever.

Our state is home to more species of plant and animal than any other state in Australia. In fact, if Queensland was a country it would be one of the most species-rich countries in the world.

Unfortunately, a range of threats including feral animals, weeds, fires, climate change and land clearing are threatening our unique wildlife.

We need to act now. 

Over the last couple of decades, more than 500 Queensland landholders from across the state have stepped up to play their part. They’ve made a commitment to protect natural values on their properties by joining the Queensland Government’s Nature Refuges program. 

Together, their properties cover 4.5 million hectares of the Queensland landscape, including wetlands and rainforest, tropical savanna and native grasslands. 

But funding to help these landholders manage their nature refuges is now stretched to breaking point, with the State Government providing less than 25 cents per hectare on average over the last five years.

It’s vital that we invest more in the Nature Refuges program, to help committed landholders protect and care for vital wildlife habitat, before it’s too late. 

Write to your MP today to call for increased investment in the Nature Refuge program.

Sign the Nature Refuges Petition

    Dear Environment Minister, Planning Minister, Tourism Minister, Deputy Premier, Shadow Environment Minister, Shadow Treasurer, and [your local MP’s name will be automatically entered],

    I support landholders who are working to support the environment, which is why I believe the Nature Refuges program is such a great thing - particularly in Outback Queensland.

    The program has allowed hundreds of landholders from across the state to show their commitment to protecting our state’s natural assets, growing the program into Australia’s largest private protected area network at 4.4 million hectares.

    However, many of those landholders are getting little support to manage their properties for conservation. In fact, over the past five years, the Queensland Government has provided, on average, only 25 cents per hectare to nature refuge landholders to manage their lands, with many landholders receiving no ongoing financial support at all.

    More funding is needed in order to better support existing landholders to manage their lands and encourage new ones to get involved.

    The health of our Outback is currently under threat. Feral animals and noxious weeds are spreading rapidly, while destructive fires threaten property and nature. We need to see more investment in programs that support both people and nature to manage those threats and sustain nature.

    I call on you to support greater investment into our Nature Refuges program to support landholders to care for their land and protect wildlife and the landscapes of Outback Queensland.

    Yours faithfully,
    [Your name will be automatically added]

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    Investing in Nature Refuges

    Third-generation property owners Barry and Tammy Hughes run North Head station in North Queensland. They have dedicated more than 18,000 hectares on their 76,000 hectare property as a nature refuge. 

    Barry explains why the program is so important. 

    "For us, getting the nature refuge on our property has been a big achievement.

    But as you can imagine, important work like managing weeds, feral animals or simply maintaining fences to keep stock away from sensitive areas is a huge and costly job on an Outback nature refuge.

    After signing up to the program, Tammy and I were initially able to access some modest funding that helped us improve management at North Head.

    However, since that first round, there’s been no more funding made available - leaving us limited in what we can achieve for conservation."

    With over 500 landholders managing 4.4 million hectares,  the Nature Refuges program is an important part of the solution to Queensland’s extinction crisis.

    But, landholders like Barry and Tammy can’t be left to do all the work.

    Add your name to call on the Government to better support nature refuge landholders to care for their land and the threatened and endangered wildlife that call it home.