A strategy for the Australian native seed sector

Native seeds are the foundation of Australia’s biodiversity and are widely used in conserving and restoring our landscapes and creating opportunities for communities and businesses. In 2019–20 Australia suffered its worst bushfires in 20 years. Over 35 percent of Australia’s nationally listed ecological communities were impacted. In the months after the ‘Black Summer’ bushfires it was realised that the time had come to sure up the sustainable supply of native seed to be prepared for risks and catastrophes such as fire, flood, drought and climate change.

ACIL Allen was engaged by Greening Australia’s Project Phoenix, to develop a ten-year native seed and landscape restoration strategy with input from across the sector including first nation’s communities, businesses, government, community groups and related industries such as mining and agriculture. 

The strategy has been designed around two central challenges for Australia to make better use of native seeds to manage landscapes and realise opportunities; seed banks need to make the full diversity of Australian native plant species and their genetics available for posterity and active use and the Australian native seeds sector needs to attract the resources to sustain its skills and capacity to respond when required.