Saving Australia's environment, including its threatened wildlife and degraded landscapes, would cost about 0.3 per cent of the nation's GDP, according to a new report. 

The Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists estimates that an annual investment of $7.3 billion over the next 30 years could prevent most extinctions, repair agricultural soils, and restore rivers.

For the first time, a coalition of scientists, governance, and business leaders has quantified the financial requirements to reverse environmental damage in Australia. 

The blueprint outlines 24 steps that could “avoid most extinctions and recover almost all threatened species”, improve agricultural soils, and rehabilitate over-allocated and fragmented river systems.

The proposed $7.3 billion annual expenditure is less than two-thirds of the federal government's reported annual fossil fuel subsidies. 

“The cost is less than 0.3 per cent of our GDP. Given that nearly half of our GDP depends on nature, that’s a pretty sound investment,” said University of Queensland professor Martine Maron at the National Press Club.

The Wentworth Group has spent six years developing its Blueprint to Repair Australian Landscapes. 

It says there are clear economic benefits of preserving Australia's unique landscapes and wildlife, which attract billions in domestic and international tourism annually. 

“You’re all familiar with the ASX? Well, we have an index that tracks how our threatened species are going too,” Maron stated. 

“It’s called the TSX – the Threatened Species Index – and it shows that populations of our threatened species have declined 60 per cent since 2000.”

The blueprint makes a compelling national case for repairing degraded landscapes through practical, large-scale actions. 

If implemented, the proposed measures could mitigate two centuries of environmental degradation. 

Key actions include protecting and restoring habitats for threatened species, addressing invasive species, expanding Indigenous fire management practices, improving soil health, and returning the Murray-Darling Basin to sustainable water extraction levels through strategic water licence buybacks.

The Blueprint to Repair Australia's Landscapes, developed with input from academia, government, and business sectors, outlines a suite of 24 practical actions and investments across five key environmental asset groups. 

The plan aims to prepare Australia for future climatic pressures, improve agricultural productivity, support regional jobs, help meet biodiversity and climate goals, and increase ecosystem resilience to extreme events.

The blueprint is divided into three parts: the Blueprint Synthesis Report, summarising the case for a 30-year investment in a healthy and resilient Australia; the Blueprint Technical Review, detailing objectives, repair actions, investment estimates, and benefits; and the Investment Spreadsheet, containing the data and algorithms underlying the investment estimates.