Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are advised that this website may contain images and voices of people who have died.

Northern and Yorke
FacebookLinkedInInstagramSubscribe

Biodiversity

Why biodiversity matters

Biodiversity underpins our regional economy, climate resilience, connection to Country, and the health and wellbeing of our communities. It provides the foundations of life, including clean air, clean water and healthy natural environments, while supporting key industries such as agriculture, fisheries, tourism and manufacturing.

Healthy biodiversity delivers essential ecosystem services, including the provision of food, fibre and grazing resources, regulation of water, soil and climate systems, and opportunities for recreation, wellbeing and cultural connection.

Our region's Landscape Plan commits the Board to protecting and enhancing biodiversity through measuring, monitoring and conserving native species, habitats and ecosystems, supported by targeted on-ground programs and partnerships.

Maintaining high levels of native biodiversity and healthy ecosystem function helps landscapes adapt to a changing climate, builds resilience to threats and natural disasters, and supports the long-term sustainability of our environment, economy and communities.

Our threatened species

In developing our region's Landscape Plan, consideration was given to all species listed under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act, as well as species protected under South Australian legislation, with particular attention to those endemic to the Northern and Yorke region. Species identified in the Australian Government’s Threatened Species Action Plan 2022-2032 are a key focus for conservation efforts.

Measuring what we have

The Board is developing a Biodiversity Scorecard using a natural capital approach aligned with the United Nations System of Environmental-Economic Accounting (SEEA) Framework. The scorecard will provide a snapshot of the extent and condition of the region’s biodiversity assets by drawing on national and state datasets, alongside local monitoring data and knowledge.

The threats we face

Biodiversity across the Northern and Yorke region faces a range of interconnected threats, including habitat loss and fragmentation, climate change and climate variability, urban and peri-urban development, natural disasters, invasive predators and environmental weeds.

Addressing these threats is critical to strengthening nature's resilience and capacity to adapt. Healthy ecosystems provide the services and benefits that communities, industries and native species rely upon, helping to secure the long-term future of the region's unique plants, animals and landscapes.

The Northern and Yorke Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan identifies key natural disaster risks and mitigation strategies for the region. Actions arising from this work have been incorporated into our region's Landscape Plan to support a coordinated approach to environmental resilience and recovery.

Rich in biodiversity.
Committed to keeping
it that way.

Biodiversity

PROTECTED | IMPROVED | RESTORED

Objective: Thriving native species and habitats

  • Large-scale restoration, rewilding, and biodiversity corridors to improve habitat and support restorations of the natural environment.
  • Renewable energy projects strategically sited with biodiversity and community consent.
  • Increased urban biodiversity providing habitat for native fauna.
  • Reintroduction of regionally extinct species.
  • Technology and data to support decision-making and investment priorities