Read about the great topics in our September newsletter Nurture.

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| Seven ‘megatrends’ that will shape our lives in the years ahead — and what it all means | New climate change bill met with a wall of support | Glossy black-cockatoo: Bushfire affected species listed as threatened | Greater glider: another precious species on the brink | Biodiversity certificates to increase native habitat and support landholders | Consumers drawn to brands that act on plastics | Logan clean up collaboration

Seven ‘megatrends’ that will shape our lives in the years ahead — and what it all means 

The CSIRO has identified seven megatrends that they say will define our coming decades. Broadly they are:

• Adapting to climate change.
• Resource pressure and biodiversity.
• Health
• Artificial intelligence and autonomous systems.
• Geopolitical shifts.
• Digital and data economies.
• Diversity, equity, and transparency.

With work touching directly and indirectly across many of these megatrends, the report confirms the importance of Healthy Land & Water’s focus on building ecosystem resilience to protect and strengthen our beautiful natural environs and prepare our environment to handle the more frequent and intense natural disasters which climate change is bringing to our region and the world.

Click here to read more about the megatrends.

New climate change bill met with a wall of support

A new Climate Change Bill 2022 being introduced by the Australian Government seeks to enshrine into law an emissions reduction target of 43% from 2005 levels by 2030 and net zero emissions by 2050.

The news has been met with an enormous amount of public support from businesses, industry, unions, farmers, community, and conservation groups.

The Australian Government says that it is seeking to provide energy and investment certainty and usher the next generation of economic growth and opportunity through this legislation. It locks in 43% as Australia’s target to reduce emissions and ensures a whole-of-government approach to drive towards that target. It is aimed at taking practical action in response to calls for Parliament to put Australia on the path to net zero emissions.

Click here to read more.

Glossy black-cockatoo: Bushfire-affected species listed as threatened

The south-eastern glossy black cockatoo has now been listed as threatened under national environment law.

The Minister for the Environment and Water Tanya Plibersek has accepted the Threatened Species Scientific Committee’s recommendation to list the south-eastern glossy black cockatoo as vulnerable on the threatened species list under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act).

Listing a species under environmental law can provide it with the support of a recovery plan or conservation advice, funding, and support to bounce back.

The Australian Government has committed to providing $224.5 million over the forward estimates to help arrest species decline and restore populations of endangered plants and animals.

The glossy black cockatoo was severely impacted by the 2019-2020 Black Summer bushfires and prioritised for listing assessment in the wake of the fires.

A national Recovery Plan for the south-eastern glossy black cockatoo will also be developed to further facilitate conservation action across its national range and to coordinate management across multiple jurisdictions and diverse stakeholder groups, including First Nations people and communities.

Click here to read more.

Greater glider: another precious species on the brink

Another iconic mammal, the greater glider, has officially been added to the growing list of endangered species in Australia – joining the gang-gang cockatoo, bogong moth, and the koala.

The Australian Government has recently uplisted the greater glider (southern and central) Petauroides volans to Endangered.

The greater glider (northern/north-eastern Queensland) P. minor – has been listed as Vulnerable https://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publicspecies.pl?taxon_id=92008.

The news is a stark reminder of how important the work we and others do is to our precious species. If you’d like to read more about the great work being done to protect greater and yellow-bellied gliders, check out the Wildlife Australia magazine (Winter 2022 edition). The article also refers to a project HLW is delivering to identify and help conserve habitats for these gliders across SEQ.

To read the Australian Government listing for the Petauroides volans, click here

Biodiversity certificates to increase native habitat and support landholders

A new biodiversity certification scheme is being created that will recognise landholders who restore or manage local habitat by granting them biodiversity certificates which can then be onsold.

The Australian Government has announced that work has started on developing a scheme that it says will operate in a similar way to our current carbon crediting legislation. The scheme will make it easier for businesses, organisations, and individuals to invest in landscape restoration and management.

This is good news for companies looking to invest in genuine carbon and nature-offsetting projects. It also ensures that the farmers who help bring this work to light, have a pathway to be rewarded for their efforts. The scheme aims to introduce a practical way to support work to protect waterways, provide habitat for native species, reduce erosion, protect topsoil, improve drought resilience, and create shelter for livestock.

Australian farmers manage more than half of Australia’s landmass, providing an important stewardship role on behalf of all Australians. Linking farmers with investors who will partner with them to invest in environmental protection is a significant step forward in how we protect and care for our country.

To read the full media release from the Australian Government, click here.

Consumers are drawn to brands that act on plastics

New research shows businesses that are leading the way in eradicating plastics have increased customer loyalty and trust.

Led by the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) in collaboration with the Queensland University of Technology (QUT), the research showed plastic reduction programs top the list of corporate social responsibility strategies that resonate most strongly with consumers.

A poll of over 600 consumers found that a plastic reduction program creates more positive outcomes than a store-wide discount and that it enhances the perceived warmth and competence of the retailer.

The research coincides with news from the Sunshine State that it is set to ban plastic microbeads, polystyrene packing peanuts, and plastic-stemmed cotton buds by 1 September 2023.

The Queensland Government has unveiled its proposed five-year roadmap to phase out harmful single-use plastics. Queensland Environment Minister Meaghan Scanlon said the mass release of lighter-than-air balloons will also be banned next year, while new minimum standards will be introduced for heavy plastic bags requiring them to be tested for reusability and the ability to be recycled once they’ve reached the end of their lifespan. The roadmap comes off the back of new survey results which showed 91% of Queenslanders backed further bans on single-use plastics, as well as consultation with peak retail and environment groups.

To read the full media release from the Australian Retailers Association, click here.

It’s TAX time!

The Australian Taxation Office has published new fact sheets on landcare and riparian maintenance, preventing and preparing for fire emergencies, and tree farming (forestry operations) to help you understand income and expenses.

These resources can help land managers find savings at tax time.

For more information, visit the ATO website (look under other resources).