The Building Private Land Conservation in Western Australia symposium was held on Tuesday 16 and Wednesday 17 September 2025 at the WA Maritime Museum in Fremantle (Walyalup). The event was designed to bring attention to WA’s current position on private land conservation and identify practical measures to align it with effective methods already proven successful in News South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and Tasmania.
The symposium was framed around two core topics: revitalising WA’s conservation covenanting program with meaningful incentives for landholders to engage with conservation, and exploring innovative sustainable finance opportunities to support divert a excessive reliance on public funding for protected areas.
Across the two days, experts, leaders and local landholders explored the exisiting structures for private land conservation, the gaps, and new strategies to implement an effective state-based program in WA. Keynotes, case studies, panels and audience Q&As discussed themes and topics such as:
- The value and impact of private land conservation — a national perspective (Dr Jody Gunn, CEO of Australian Land Conservation Alliance).
- The five magic ingredients of New South Wale’s private land conservation success (Mick O’Flynn, Director of Programs, Biodiversity Conservation Trust NSW).
- Healing the Spirit of the Land — a Nyungar perspective and experience (Oral McGuire, Chair of Yaraguia Incorporated & Director of Noongar Land Enterprise).
- Western Australia’s covenanting challenges — gaps, opportunities and what works elsewhere ( Dr Bruce Webber, Executive Manager Science & Conservation, Bush Heritage Australia)
- Valuing nature at scale: ambition and impact in Australian conservation (Tim Allard, CEO, Australian Wildlife Conservancy).
- Reflections on advancements in private land conservation since the first private land conservation forum in Australia — Perth, 2001 (Dr James Fitzsimons, Senior Advisor of Global Protection Strategies, The Nature Conservancy).
For the full list of who presented at the symposium, take a look at the final program here.
It was an opportunity for attendees to network, build awareness and coordinate with each other, with ‘conservation matchmaking’ being an important part of the impact that resulted in a successful event. It was also a highlight welcoming Environment Minister Matthew Swinbourn to present on his government’s contributions to conservation thus far and the scope and direction they want to move towards in the future.
This symposium was an important moment where landcare, community and conservation came together to better shape the future of private land conservation in WA.
Thank you to our key sponsors of the Building Private Land Conservation in WA symposium:
And to our partners for their support in bringing the event together:
