What was in the WA budget for nature?

There’s been some encouraging progress in this year’s WA budget, and I wanted to share it with you because your support has helped make it possible. While the funding still falls short of what nature truly needs, it’s a sign that our collective voice is being heard and that decision-makers are starting to respond.

One important win is $350,000 for National Trust of Western Australia’s covenanting program, helping keep this vital work going so landholders can protect nature on private land.

The budget also delivers $3.4 million over four years for a Threatened Ecological Communities response – an important step toward finally giving some of WA’s most vulnerable ecosystems the protection they deserve.

The government has included funding for national parks planning as part of the South-West Native Title Settlement. This is worth $6.6 million including this year, and it’s a welcome step to ensure there are enough funds to properly engage with Noongar groups on the future of Country.

And there is $1.68 million over four years for conservation land acquisition, which can help secure more land for conservation by purchasing small additions of land from neighbours into current parks and reserves.

These gains didn’t happen by chance. They are the result of people like you – supporters, landholders and community voices – consistently calling for greater investment in private land conservation and protected areas across Western Australia.

Thank you for being part of that pressure and that progress. Your support has helped build the momentum behind this campaign, including the strong backing shown through our Building Private Land Conservation Symposium last year.

But we’re not done yet. WA now has the chance to build on the success of Plan for Our Parks and deliver the next round of protected areas across land tenures.

We’ll keep pushing for the ambition nature needs – and with you behind this campaign, we can keep turning support into action.