ESA Policy

Our Constitution commits the ESA to engage with matters of public policy, particularly in: “promoting the application of ecological principles to the development, utilisation and conservation of natural resources” and “advising governmental and other agencies in matters where the application of ecological principles may be relevant to their planning and decision-making processes”.

As part of this work, the ESA responds to public policy consultations and matters of public interest that are relevant to ecology.

The ESA has a Policy Working Group that coordinates the Society’s response to policy consultations and engagement with policymakers. We also encourage our members to have their say on issues relevant to their expertise. We invite you to submit ‘Hot Topics’ to the Working Group that are relevant to environmental policy development, land management and to broadening the community’s ecological knowledge base.

Below you will find past submissions or statements made by the ESA, along with resources and further information. If you’d like to know more about the ESA’s Public Policy and Outreach work please contact our team at .

The ESA encourages its members to engage with policy development and consultation processes to help promote the application of ecological principles and science in decision-making and natural resource management. Active consultations are posted on the following Government sites; 

Current Government inquiries https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Current_Inquiries 

Inquiries accepting public submissions. Ordered by closing date. https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Submissions_Open 

EPBC Listing Assessments open for public comment. http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/nominations/comment 

If you think the ESA should make a submission to any active consultations, the decision tree below may be of use:

  1. Is the inquiry/consultation a relevant national one (e.g. Review of the EPBC Act)? Yes (go to 2.) No (go to 3.)
  2. Would you like to work with the Policy WG to prepare a submission on behalf of the ESA? Yes (go to 4.) No (go to 5.)
  3. Is it a key state-based inquiry/consultation that the ESA should consider preparing a response to? Yes (go to 6.) No (go to 7.)
  4. Please contact the WG at 
  5. Please still consider forwarding us a link to the inquiry as we may prepare an ESA response –
  6. Please forward a link to the inquiry so we can consider it based on our current work-load –
  7. Please consider preparing a response yourself (or on behalf of your organisation) – resources that may help can be found on the ESA website

To support members who would like to write a submission, or make contact with their local MP, we have developed and collated the following resources below.

 

Climate Risk Assessment - closes 10th September 2025 - ESA submission available on request

Review of National Competitive Grants Program - closed 13th April 2025 - ESA submission available on request

South Australia’s Draft Biodiversity Bill - closed 18 Feb 2025 - ESA submission available on request

Submission to Consultation: draft Lake Eyre Basin Strategic Plan (Dec 2022)

Submission to Consultation on Burning Native Forest Timber (Biomass Burning) for Energy Production (in relation to Climate Change Bill 2022 and Climate Change (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2022) (Oct 2022)

Submission to Feedback survey - A National Biodiversity Market (Sep 2022)

Submission to Consultation - Australia's Extinction Crisis (and at Submitter # 3) - Aug 2022

  • Inquiry homepage - the committee was granted an extension of time for the report until Dec 2023.

Submission to Survey - Threat Abatement Plan: Land Clearance (May 2022)

Submission to Survey - Threat Abatement Plan: Loss of climatic habitat caused by anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases (May 2022)

Joint submission by the Society for Conservation Biology Oceania and the Ecological Society of Australia - Threatened Species Strategy (2021–31) (November 2020)

Submission to Review of Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) and the Engagement and Impact Assessment (EI) and response to survey questions (October 2020).

Submission to the Inquiry into Ecosystem Decline in Victoria (July 2020)

Committee Report - ESA referenced 20+ times - (Dec 2021)

Submission to the Inquiry into the problem of feral and domestic cats in Australia (July 2020)

Final report - Tackling the feral cat pandemic: a plan to save Australian wildlife (December 2020)

Submission to the Finance and Public Administration References Committee for inquiry and report, “Lessons to be learned in relation to the preparation and planning for, response to and recovery efforts following the 2019-20 Australian bushfire season” (May 2020)

Submission to the Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements (April 2020) and Submission Summary.