The Biodiversity Council welcomes the opportunity to provide a 2026-27 Pre-budget Submission.

Australia has consistently underinvested in the protection and recovery of nature, relative to other developed nations and relative to its importance to our economy, culture, well-being and national identity.

The Biodiversity Council calls on the Australian Government to commit to immediately lifting investment to at least 1% of current government expenditure on nature protection and restoration priorities and to make further investments in biodiversity monitoring and research.

Alongside this broader uplift in funding, there is an urgent need to maintain and strengthen existing conservation programs that are already delivering on-ground outcomes. In particular, the Saving Native Species Fund must be continued beyond 2025–26, with a further multi-year funding commitment made to ensure stability, effectiveness and continuity in threatened species recovery.

This funding must, as a minimum, match the previous commitment for the Saving Native Species Fund, and be increased in line with the best available evidence for the cost to recover Australia’s imperilled wildlife. Without sustained, predictable investment, Australia risks losing hard-won conservation gains and accelerating extinctions that are both preventable and economically reckless.

“Don't tell me what you value, show me your budget, and I'll tell you what you value.”

― Joe Biden

Download the full submission for more information.