The Biodiversity Council welcomes the opportunity to provide feedback on the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water’s draft national other effective area-based conservation measures framework (‘the Framework’).

Our submission raises seven points of concern and makes 17 recommendations. For example, the Framework seems designed to be vague and discretionary such that the 30 by 30 target can be achieved through accounting methods, rather than truly increasing protection and improving management of biodiversity in Australia.

We also note that many points made in our 2023 submission regarding the proposed principles for the recognition of other effective area-based conservation measures are still relevant. We recommend that the Australian Government hold a roundtable with key external experts to refine the Framework.