Back from the Brink: A Protection Agenda for Nature is a new report by Conservation Council of WA, calling for sweeping nature law reforms in Western Australia to avoid further threatened species extinctions.

The report includes real-life examples of where policy is failing nature, with 36 recommendations for urgent change to protect WA’s unique biodiversity.

The release of the report follows the publication of new data revealing a shocking surge in the amount of habitat approved for clearing in 2026. We’re talking about complex ecosystems that have taken years to evolve, and once removed, are incredibly difficult to restore and recover. Habitat must be protected.

Quite simply, environmental policy is WA continuing to fail and government ambition on reforms to protect threatened species has been too low for too long. We need the State Government to respond to the biodiversity crisis and ensure there can be no further extinctions. We need a biodiversity strategy, no-go zones for critical habitat, and greater funding for the protection, restoration, and recovery of threatened species.

Back from the Brink provides a framework to make that aspiration a reality, as it aims to 

• Provide a reference guide to assist decision makers, government agencies and policy makers working towards effective environmental reform, and
• Assist CCWA’s member groups and broader community groups in connecting local or specific environmental issues with policy and legislative reform, to support collective environmental advocacy.

Many thanks to the collaborative effort of conservation organisations, Aboriginal leaders and environmental specialists, who contributed to the first edition of Back from the Brink.