The health and wellbeing of Country and people are connected. The oldest continuing cultures in the world – Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures – have held this truth at the core of their knowledge systems and their management practices.

Western Australia has eight out of Australia’s 15 declared biodiversity hotspots and one of the highest rates of new species discovery in the world. But the recent State of the Environment report found significant changes in some Australian ecosystems over the past five years, with at least 19 now showing signs of collapse due to pressures of climate change, habitat loss, invasive species, pollution and mining.

While many are working to make a difference, we must expand collaboration across government and nongovernment sectors by co-developing solutions with Indigenous and local communities, learning from both Indigenous and western scientific knowledge. The time for action is now.

This Conference brings together researchers and practitioners from across Country, academia, government, industry and community to share knowledge. With its strong Western Australian focus, this event promises the synergistic benefits that come from collective forward thinking.