New plan sets direction for Kangaroo Island’s landscapes

More than 450 interactions involving community members, , school students, land managers and partner organisations helped shape the Plan, which sets a shared direction for working together for healthy land and sea over the next five years.

The Plan will guide the Board’s priorities, investment, partnerships and on-ground action across five connected priorities: empower community; sustain biodiversity; foster healthy land and water; manage pests; and manage climate risks.

Board Chair Aphid Heinrich said the Plan reflects the priorities of the Kangaroo Island community.

“This is a Plan shaped by the people who live, work and care for Kangaroo Island,” Mr Heinrich said.

“On behalf of the Board, I sincerely thank everyone who shared their time, local knowledge, concerns and aspirations. Your input gave us a clear picture of what matters most and helped turn that into a practical direction for the next five years.”

More than 450 interactions informed the development of the Plan, engagement included:

• 31 people attending community workshops in Penneshaw, Parndana and Kingscote
• 60 survey responses from land managers and community members
• more than 320 people voting at the Kingscote and Parndana Shows, 20 per cent of whom were children

Community engagement directly shaped the Plan’s five regional priorities and focus areas, including elevating climate risk. It reinforced the central importance of biodiversity and pest management—including pest animals, weeds and diseases—and informed the actions most valued by the community.

Feedback also strengthened the Plan’s outcomes to reflect community expectations, established the Caring for Country statement, improved how landscape values, challenges and actions are communicated, and made the Plan more accessible.

The result is a shared, evidence-based framework that combines community priorities and local knowledge with scientific evidence to guide how the Board supports community, biodiversity, land and water, and manages pests and climate risks over the next five years.

“People told us they want practical action, genuine partnerships and decisions that reflect the experience of those who know this Island best,” Mr Heinrich said.

“The Plan responds with an ambitious but achievable program of work—from protecting threatened species and native vegetation to improving water security and soil health, eradicating feral cats, strengthening biosecurity and preparing for a hotter, drier climate.

“It gives us a strong foundation to coordinate effort, attract investment and report clearly on our progress. The real work now is to keep working together to bring the Plan to life.”

The Plan includes five regional priorities, 16 focus areas, 16 outcomes and 56 priority actions. It took effect on 1 July 2026 and will guide the Board’s work to 2031.