What 2026 demands of us: the lowdown from Tony Fox

Q: Looking ahead to 2026, what is the single most important outcome the landscape board system must deliver for South Australia?

A: Keep water security front and centre - through healthy catchments.

In 2026, we must demonstrate that allocation planning, riparian condition and catchment health are working together at a statewide scale. Community awareness of these issues has increased as algal blooms have featured prominently in recent media coverage. We can build on this to help increase community understanding that getting these foundations right is essential to future water management strategies.

It is important to remember that algal blooms, low flows and declining groundwater do not stop at regional borders. Our response therefore needs to be a coherent, fit for purpose water policy framework, supported by transparent allocation settings and a strong focus on improving riparian condition. The outcome that matters is secure water, backed by measurable improvements in catchment health.

The review of the Landscape Act was paused, but it is essential that we return to this conversation with priority. We would like to see the South Australian Government take the helm and demonstrate its commitment by funding the investigation and reform process.

Q: What pressure or challenge will most shape landscape management over the next 12–24 months?

A: A drying climate - compounded by tight budgets.

The lack of rainfall in many parts of the State is significant. The pressure this places on our rivers, wetlands and groundwater will intensify if the expected drier conditions continue into the coming year. At the same time, Landscape Boards are being asked to do more with less, making prioritisation critical.

Biosecurity threats and restoration complexity are increasing - weed control and revegetation are becoming harder and more costly - and we are working to strengthen the science needed to address knowledge gaps around groundwater use. The region’s Landscape Boards are leading excellent work, but in an environment where budgets are not increasing, we must continue to find ways to deliver more with less.

Our response needs to focus on identifying synergies and partners as we sharpen our efforts on drought readiness, smarter monitoring and meaningful community engagement. We need to keep making clear choices about where our effort delivers the greatest ecological return.

Q: Where will collaboration across regions make the greatest difference in 2026?

A: Finalising a State Landscape Strategy and acting at statewide scale.

A strategy that sits above regional plans will align priorities and better direct effort to the key issues - we want to avoid a piecemeal or reactive approach wherever possible. We’re already seeing the value of long horizon programs, such as coordinated deer management, where statewide thresholds can be achieved that no single region could reach on its own.

Stronger collaboration should also help sharpen our stance on native vegetation protection, addressing the “death by a thousand cuts” from incremental clearing, through setting clearer, more consistent lines on what is allowable.

Another focus is diversifying our funding - unlocking untapped opportunities, including philanthropic contributions and nature repair mechanisms, while improving access to compliance and administration tools so we can act consistently across the state.

Q: What capability - people, partnerships, data or investment - will be most critical to success in 2026?

A: Secure, equitable resourcing - and proof of impact.

Landscape Boards need secure funding that matches our remit to deliver for the region. This is imperative for attracting and retaining skilled people, building our knowledge base, building capacity and investing in data capability. Sharing skills across regions and with partners - urban and rural - further lifts the quality and consistency of delivery.

The bottom line is that we must also demonstrate visible outcomes. Communities and partners need to see the difference we are making.

Being able to clearly show our impact is essential to strengthening confidence in the system and attracting the funding needed to continue our work.

Q: If communities and government were looking back at the end of 2026, what would success look like?

A: Ultimately, success is when people see value in the work we are delivering for the region - because they can see real change.

I’d love to get to a place at the end of the year where community congratulates government for their gnarly bravery.

Where communities and partners clearly recognise the statewide value of our work.

Where the environment is elevated - no longer carried solely by environment ministers who have put their hearts and souls into tackling difficult issues head on, whether its algal blooms or varroa mite.

Where the foundational link between environment, nature and the liveability of our regions is both understood and celebrated.

Drilling down a bit more I’d love to see more:

• Visible catchment improvements - and water decisions viewed as fair and future focused.
• Confidence in statewide systems- people recognising the value of coordinated Landscape Board leadership, effective programs and measurable results.
• A stronger biosecurity posture - with programs reaching necessary control thresholds.
• Resourcing aligned to remit - capability and partnerships sustained beyond one off projects.
• Respectful integration of First Nations knowledge in planning and delivery - providing a genuine voice and strengthening how we care for Country.
• Our communities feeling confident and assured in how the State’s natural resources are being managed.

Q: Thank you, Tony, for sharing your insights with us today. Can you break this down into a series of key themes for us?

A: Yes for sure, this seems like a test ...let me rattle off the big seven themes I see coming up across 2026.

In 2026, the question isn’t what each region plans to do; it’s what the landscape itself needs - and how South Australia’s coordinated, statewide Landscape Board network will meet those needs.

That means elevating water security and catchment health as non negotiables, aligning on statewide priorities not just regional lists of actions, strengthening biosecurity, and securing equitable resourcing so people, data and partnerships can deliver. Above all, we must demonstrate visible, practical change that communities recognise and value.

South Australia’s landscapes are under pressure from compounding drivers - drying climate, stressed catchments, invasive species, and the affordability of doing more with less.

• Theme 1: Keep water security front and centre 
  Prescribed areas, allocation planning and riparian condition all need a coherent statewide approach, because algae blooms, low flows and declining groundwater don’t respect regional boundaries. We are honing in on fit for purpose policy through proactive water policy reporting and transparent water allocation settings and plans, anchored in catchment health outcomes rather than short term pressures. 
  
• Theme 2: Plan for a drier 12–24 months
  Projected dry conditions will magnify pressure on rivers, wetlands, groundwater and budgets. A lack of rainfall and a drying climate is being called out as a dominant near term pressure. It is critical that we improve the utilisation of our remaining (and declining) groundwater resources by strengthening information and addressing key knowledge gaps. We also need to increasingly orient monitoring and community engagement toward drought readiness, making difficult prioritisation decisions while sustaining the critical ecological functions that underpin industries, communities and liveability. 
  
• Theme 3: Strengthen biosecurity and restoration realism
  Invasive species control, weed management, revegetation challenges and biosecurity risk management are all getting harder and costlier. There can be no doubt that Statewide coordination and long‑horizon programs lift efficiency and impact. Our recent deer management Statewide program is a shining example which illustrates how shared effort can achieve thresholds that individual regions cannot reach alone. It is a great model for scale, consistency and persistence. 
  
• Theme 4: Finalise a State Landscape Strategy and align priorities
  Statewide priorities help direct effort more effectively than purely regional responses, and we are supporting this approach through a State Landscape Strategy that sits above our regional plans. This will help the network of Landscape Boards present a unified program and shift from a more traditionally reactive set of regionalised actions, to shared priorities with clear authorising intent and measurable outcomes. Alignment strengthens impact. When we align our efforts, we can leverage and amplify the impact of many individual actions – leading to quicker decision making, stronger resourcing arguments, and more consistent and stronger Statewide outcomes.
  
• Theme 5: Protect native vegetation - draw clearer lines
  Ongoing clearing is like a “death by a thousand cuts”, eroding landscape resilience to a point it will be hard to come back from. It is up to our Boards to communicate a clear stance: native vegetation is foundational natural infrastructure and compliance and incentives must align to protect what remains and restore what’s essential. That means clearly defining and communicating what constitutes illegal clearing and considering whether we need to reset what is allowable.
  
• Theme 6: Modernise funding and unlock new investment
  Doing more for less is unsustainable, especially now, when the pressures of climate change and ongoing development mean we must continually increase our efforts just to hold the line. To maintain the great services our Landscape Boards are delivering for the State requires a fair, adequate, equitable and secure resourcing model. We are exploring smart, modern ways to evolve our current system, including diversifying our income sources. This includes unlocking new and diverse capital streams - such as philanthropy and nature repair mechanisms - to help us grow our capability, data and delivery.
  
• Theme 7: Elevate First Nations knowledge and community confidence
  Embedding First Nations land management strengthens decisions about how we can better manage our landscapes. Providing a genuine voice for First Nations peoples ensures their knowledge is recognised as a legitimate and important part of how we care for Country. Their knowledge is a vital and respected part of our communities. In 2026, integrating First Nations knowledge isn’t an add on - it’s essential to building community confidence in how we manage the state’s natural resources.