Nature is not doing well in Australia. Many unique mammals, birds and insects are struggling. Entire ecosystems are collapsing.

In response, the federal government signed a global pledge in 2022 to protect and restore nature. The global goal is to restore 30% of degraded ecosystems. But Australia only proposes to have “priority degraded areas […] under effective restoration by 2030”. The terms are not defined, no 30% target is included, and there is no method proposed to measure success.

With 2030 less than four years away, it’s time to ask hard questions. What does it actually mean to restore nature? What would success look like? And what would it cost?

What does it mean to restore nature?

If we walk through protected forests with abundant wildlife, we might think the end goal is simple: more of this.

The problem is, many current ecosystems – communities of species – look very different to those before European colonisation began in 1788. Some ecosystems no longer exist.

The tireless burrowing of millions of bandicoots and bettongs once shaped the grassy woodlands of southeast Australia. But foxes and cats, coupled with logging, farming and mining, have largely put an end to their work as ecosystem engineers.

Regent honeyeaters were once seen in “immense flocks” in eucalypt forests. There are now less than 300 birds left – so few they are losing their song.

Oyster reefs once carpeted southern seas so densely colonial ships struggled to navigate them. But the reefs were quickly dredged........

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