Since the Franklin Dam campaign in 1976, The Wilderness Society has worked at the forefront of some of Australia’s most important environmental wins. With our members, we have delivered positive outcomes for all Australians and the unique ecosystems we rely on. Working with communities and partners, we’ve managed to:
Keep BP and Chevron from oil drilling in the Great Australian Bight.
Protect over 8 million hectares of precious forests in National Parks and local bushland around the country from bulldozing, mining and over-fishing.
Stop big gas companies industrialising the Kimberley.
Create and protect big World Heritage national parks like the Daintree, Kakadu, Fraser Island and the Tasmanian Wilderness.
Now we’re aiming higher. Much higher. We are demanding Federal Government leadership on nothing less than the wholesale protection and restoration of nature.
Our mission is to protect, restore and sustain nature in Australia with nature laws that actually work.
We live in a truly special country. About 10% of all the world’s plants and species are found in Australia, and much of our stunning wildlife is found nowhere else on Earth.
This incredible diversity keeps our air and water clean, pollinates our crops, nourishes our soil and builds a more resilient climate.
It also means we can hike, bike, swim and camp in our ‘big backyard’. And it provides places for our children to experience the unique animals and landscapes that define Australia.
And yet, we’re losing the life that supports our life.
Australia has been responsible for 60% of the world’s biodiversity loss between 1996 and 2008, and we’re a world leader in driving species to extinction.
Our deforestation record ranks alongside the Amazon as one of the worst in the world, with 50% of our forests gone. We’re draining, damming and degrading our rivers. We’re mining ancient ranges, damaging our most important water catchments and allowing deepwater drilling in our oceans.
Accelerating climate change and poor planning has left regional communities facing the consequences of devastating droughts time and again, affecting families, farms and livelihoods. Our tourism industry is challenged as our iconic animals and places face extinction and destruction. All the while, we know Australia has the resources and knowledge to halt the extinction crisis and protect our unique landscapes.
We’re in the midst of an unprecedented environmental crisis and no one is in charge.
Too often, our environment ministers are not taking action to properly protect nature and they’re served by underfunded and powerless departments. Governments—at all levels—change and the rules change with them.
At the heart of the problem is this: we have laws in place that are simply not up to the task.
Weak laws and poor enforcement allow powerful corporations to grab profits while they trash our oceans, forests, wildlife and climate. Communities are left powerless to protect their environment, health and lifestyle—now and into the future.
That’s why The Wilderness Society has kicked off our most ambitious campaign ever.
Our vision is to protect Australia for future generations with laws that actually make a difference. We’re providing a strong voice, campaigning to put the environment and community at the centre of decision-making.