We use a science and evidence-based approach to achieve what nature needs; prioritising regions and actions across the ranges to drive the greatest impact and outcomes on the ground.

Large-scale conservation planning

To assist with large-scale conservation planning and decision-making, GER considers national and state biodiversity plan priorities and works with universities; local, state and commonwealth agencies; private land conservation trusts and other partners to draw on existing mapping and knowledge of conservation needs.

Not all areas in the ranges are equal in terms of their potential to contribute to maintaining landscape connectivity. A targeted approach to identifying and working in priority areas ensures that available efforts and resources can be matched appropriately.

GER considers four factors when considering where to work:

• Biological values and threats: The contribution made by the landscape to maintain the habitats and species found in the ranges and the ecological processes it supports. Selection criteria to identify priority areas to focus work include, regional distinctiveness and species diversity; rare and threatened species and endangered ecological communities; local resilience of ecosystems and native species; habitat refugia and assessment of the nature and level of key threatening processes.
• Connectivity needs: Areas comprising gaps in connectivity caused by land clearing often leaving fragmented stepping-stone remnants and weak linkages between habitat and protected areas, or patches where there is potential for current functional connectivity to be diminished or lost. These areas are important for the survival of key species. Habitats that provide the least cost opportunity for restoration investment are given priority.
• Social opportunities: Higher priority is given to areas where there is an opportunity to build on the existing efforts of our partners by helping to promote and expand priority projects in the most important areas.
• Program contribution: Areas where there are opportunities to develop and test innovative approaches to achieving lasting conservation outcomes in areas that also contribute to the expansion of GER.

Regional conservation planning

Within each priority landscape in the Great Eastern Ranges, regional level planning is used to bring together the best available information on conservation priorities, partners’ programs and delivery capacity, and local knowledge to develop agreement on where to work.

To ensure consistency of planning approaches across the length of the ranges, GER employs the ‘Open Standards for the Practice of Conservation’. Development of Conservation Action Plans also provides an important opportunity for collaboration with partners. The approach allows the integration of information derived from several key sources:

• Spatial analytical products which establish modelled metrics for vegetation condition, habitat condition and meta-population viability.
• Mapping of conservation opportunities and constraints including land tenure, conservation commitments and NRM investments.
• Local knowledge of pressures and sources of pressure acting in the landscape.

In addition to allowing for collation and interpretation of available information, the process assists with clarifying regional partners’ expectations and capacity to deliver local outcomes.