Establishing large, permanent protection outcomes on Indigenous-owned private land: Innovations at Gayini, Australia
Meeting global conservation targets requires new protection models that reflect diverse governance and tenure systems. Gayini, a major wetland restoration project in Australia’s Murray-Darling Basin, offers a pioneering example. Here, a legally binding conservation covenant was co‑developed with the land’s Traditional Custodians, creating a culturally grounded and durable framework for long‑term protection. This innovation demonstrates how collaborative governance can expand protected and conserved areas while honoring Indigenous stewardship and ensuring biodiversity representation across landscapes.
Subject Tags
- Wetlands
- Indigenous Peoples
Abstract
In order to meet global targets for area-based conservation, new and innovative models for land protection will be increasingly required to suit different tenure and governance arrangements and to ensure the protected and conserved area estate is representative of the full range of biodiversity. Here we outline innovations in conservation and protection at Gayini, a large wetland restoration project in Australia's Murray-Darling Basin, where a legally binding conservation covenant was co-developed with the land's Traditional Custodians.
Citation
Fitzsimons, J. A., Woods, R., Woods, J., Woods, I., Ridge, K., Brettschneider, M., ... & Kingsford, R. T. (2025). Establishing large, permanent protection outcomes on Indigenous‐owned private land: Innovations at Gayini, Australia. Conservation Science and Practice, 7(6), e70055. https://doi.org/10.1111/csp2.70055
TNC Authors
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James A. Fitzsimons
Senior Advisor, Global Protection Strategies
The Nature Conservancy
Email: jfitzsimons@tnc.org -
Rene Woods
The Nature Conservancy