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PDF file

• Bushcare (PDF - 62 KB)

About this document

The Australian Government's Bushcare initiative is working to conserve and restore habitat for Australia's native flora and fauna so that all Australians can continue to enjoy our unique environment for generations to come.

Through the Australian Government's Natural Heritage Trust Bushcare aims to protect and restore the habitat and threatened ecological communities of land-based species and migratory birds; reverse the decline in Australia's native vegetation; establish and effectively manage terrestrial protected areas; and prevent or control the introduction and spread of feral animals, terrestrial pests, weeds and other threats to Australia's flora and fauna.

Australia's native vegetation is at risk from broadscale clearing for new agricultural land uses, housing and road expansion. The more that native vegetation is divided (or fragmented) the less it is able to provide habitat for wildlife and carry out essential processes such as nutrient and water cycling. Small patches of native vegetation can become isolated, and can be more easily invaded by weeds and feral pests.

Since many species are dependent on specific environmental conditions, clearing and fragmentation of habitat is the main cause for these species being lost from local areas. If this happens in many regions, it can eventually lead to extinction.

Overgrazing is another activity that damages shrubs grasses, and places stress on remaining trees. "Die back" and other diseases are a large problem in many areas of Australia. Dryland salinity, caused in most part by excessive clearing of native vegetation, can also destroy large tracts of remaining native vegetation, as well as making land unsuitable for agriculture.

A number of other threats also affect the quality of remaining patches of native vegetation. These include unsustainable firewood collection, chemical run-off from agriculture and urban lands, recreational use and rubbish dumping.

Activities supported by the Natural Heritage Trust that are working to address these threats include the development of recovery plans and threat abatement plans for nationally-listed threatened species and ecological communities; identification and conservation of terrestrial biodiversity hotspots; control of the clearing of native vegetation; increasing revegetation; reducing the impact of feral animals and weeds, especially weeds of national significance; improving quarantine controls to eliminate the introduction of new live organisms harmful to native flora and fauna; and increasing the commitment of land managers to manage terrestrial native flora and fauna sustainably.

The Natural Heritage Trust provides landholders, community groups and other natural resource managers with understanding and skills to contribute to biodiversity conservation and sustainable management of Australia's environment; and supports institutional and organisational frameworks that promote conservation and ecologically sustainable use and management of natural resources.