Politicians, do your job: Nature can’t wait.

Our laws have failed nature. Political promises have fallen flat. And while communities urge the government to protect nature, the destruction continues.

But here’s the thing. Nature doesn’t need miracles. 

While this might seem like telling the Albanese government how to suck eggs, we expect them to actually protect nature and foster its recovery, including by stopping deforestation and protecting threatened species. It's literally their job.

Right now, the Albanese government has a bill before Parliament to change the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. This is a crucial test: will they do their job and finally act to stop deforestation, protect threatened species, and ensure the public has a fair say?

The environment is a crucial life source for Australians, and core to our sense of identity. It should be protected by laws. It should be prioritised in budgets. It should be championed in the halls of power. Instead, forests are bulldozed, species habitats destroyed, and critical ecosystems pushed past the brink, often with government approval.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

Across all levels of federal politics, the expectations of our representatives are clear, and they don’t come from us alone. They come from science, First Nations and the broader community, international obligations, legal responsibilities—and, most importantly, from what nature needs to survive.

In Parliament:

Political representatives must put nature on the agenda. That means asking the questions, tabling the bills, and using the platform of parliament (and pressure) to drive change. They must listen to community concern about nature, stay informed about the biodiversity crisis, advocate for meaningful outcomes, and use parliamentary processes to hold government to account.

In Government:

Nature must be a priority in every portfolio. That means embedding it in budget decisions, policy reform, and how the government talks about our economy and future. The government must fund nature like it matters, show leadership at home and globally, and reject false narratives that pit nature against jobs or cost-of-living relief.

And for the Environment Minister:

Doing the job means more than a title. It means leading a bold reform agenda to improve the status quo for nature. It means enforcing the law, fulfilling duties regarding species recovery and heritage, and driving policies that halt deforestation and end extinction. It means speaking up for nature within Cabinet, resisting corporate pressure, and restoring public trust in environmental decision-making.

At the Wilderness Society, we’re fighting to make sure nature is no longer sidelined.

We’re campaigning for stronger federal laws, bigger budgets, and urgent action—from deforestation monitoring to offshore fossil fuel cleanup to new protected areas. We’re holding governments and corporations to account, and building power across the country so that nature is front and centre in every political conversation.

Our goal? A parliament that prioritises nature and a political culture that treats the environment as essential—not optional.

A landmark win for wildlife

The Wilderness Society, represented by Environmental Justice Australia, succeeded in a landmark legal case that will deliver stronger protections for threatened wildlife on the brink of extinction.

That’s why we’re calling on federal MPs to sign a Pledge to Prioritise Nature: a public promise to back the protections, reforms and accountability the living world needs. Here are some federal MPs who have taken the pledge:

Here is the full list of federal MPs who have signed the Pledge to Prioritise Nature:

Nature is watching. So are we.

The government doing its job means doing right by the forests, rivers, oceans, and species that depend on it. It means choosing courage over convenience. Leadership over lip service.

So to every federal leader: this is your moment. Do your job.