A nature-positive Australia: What does the community value, and what does this mean for national environmental reforms?

‘Nature-positive’ has emerged as a global goal to drive action across international, national, regional, city, and organisational levels - and among public and private actors - to address the alarming rate of biodiversity loss worldwide. Simply put, the nature-positive goal seeks measurable improvements in the state of nature against a defined baseline, aiming to safeguard the wide range of ecosystem services that underpin human wellbeing.

In 2022-23, a nature-positive agenda appeared to gain traction at the federal level through the Nature Positive Plan (2022), which outlined proposed reforms to Australia’s national environmental laws and introduced a nature repair market to attract private investment in biodiversity outcomes. However, many of these reforms have yet to be implemented.

Following the May 2025 federal election, environmental law reform remains on the political agenda, but ambition and momentum have weakened.

Lack of political support is often cited as a reason for failure to overhaul Australia’s environmental laws. Therefore, it is pertinent to consider whether community attitudes towards nature conservation provide the Australian Government with a mandate for such reforms.

Join us for a discussion with James Trezise, Director of the Biodiversity Council, and Professor Liam Smith, Director of Monash BehaviourWorks. James and Liam will share insights from the Council’s 2025 Biodiversity Concerns Report, which surveyed community attitudes toward nature conservation and consider how the results of this survey should guide the re-invigoration of a nature positive reform agenda during the new federal term of government.

Speakers

Professor Liam Smith - BehaviourWorks Australia

Liam, formerly Director of Monash University’s Tourism Research Unit, holds degrees in Resource and Environmental Management, Ecotourism, and a PhD from Monash University. In 2011, he was invited to establish and lead BehaviourWorks Australia, a behavioural change initiative aimed at solving sustainability challenges. His research has focused on areas such as water, energy, waste, pollution, and climate change adaptation.

James Trezise - Director, Biodiversity Council

James is an experienced leader, change maker and policy professional whose career has focused on developing and championing solutions to some of the major challenges facing nature in Australia. He has worked in the environmental advocacy and policy space for over 15 years, with roles spanning both the not-for-profit and public sectors.

Moderator

Associate Professor Anita Foerster - Director, Green Lab, Monash Business School

Anita specialises in environmental and climate change law, regulation and governance. She has expertise in private sector sustainability governance; the implementation of legal frameworks for climate mitigation and adaptation at different jurisdictional scales; disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation in Australian settlements; and the allocation of scarce natural resources (such as water) between competing users. Anita leads the Monash Business School’s Green Lab, a hub for interdisciplinary and applied research on climate change and sustainability.

Organisers

Monash Nature Positive Network, Monash Business School Green Lab, and BehaviourWorks Australia

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Contact

greenlab@monash.edu