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Councillor

Professor Richard Kingsford AO

University of New South Wales

Expertise:

  • Restoration ecology
  • Conservation policy and management
  • River and wetland conservation and management
  • Adaptive management
  • Waterbird ecology
  • Rewilding and introductions

Professor Richard Kingsford is the Director of the Centre for Ecosystem Science at the University of New South Wales.

He is a conservation biologist, with expertise in restoration of ecosystems. He has worked extensively across the wetlands and rivers of the Murray-Darling Basin and Lake Eyre Basin. He worked for the NSW Government Environment agency from 1986-2004. He also worked with many different communities and governments.

Richard has made a significant contribution to understanding the impact of water resource developments on rivers and wetlands and their dependent ecosystem services around the world. A major part of Richard's career has focused on waterbirds and their dynamics in wetlands, including tracking changes over time in different wetland ecosystems and linking this to drivers of natural and human disturbances to river flows and flooding patterns. He leads a major reintroduction program called Wild Deserts, working in Sturt National Park (NSW) with the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, is a collaborator of the Platypus Conservation Initiative, and contributes to global management of ecosystems.

Richard's research has influenced conservation policy and management through involvement on state and federal advisory committees. He is also a member of the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists.

“I joined the Biodiversity Council because influencing policy and management is critical to effective conservation and restoration of our ecosystems and their species.” “We know how to stop biodiversity loss but it depends on the collective actions of governments and communities, and the Biodiversity Council providing an incredible range of expertise on tap." - Richard Kingsford

In 2025, Richard was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for distinguished service to conservation biology, environmental sustainability research, freshwater biodiversity and ecosystems governance.

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Acknowledgements

The Biodiversity Council acknowledges the First Peoples of the lands and waters of Australia, and pays respect to their Elders, past, present and future and expresses gratitude for long and ongoing custodianship of Country.

The Biodiversity Council is an independent expert group founded by 11 Australian universities to promote evidence-based solutions to Australia’s biodiversity crisis. It is hosted by The University of Melbourne. It receives funding from 11 university partners and The Ian Potter Foundation, The Ross Trust, Trawalla Foundation, The Rendere Trust, Isaacson Davis Foundation, Coniston Charitable Trust and Angela Whitbread.



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