How South Australia Is Restoring Lost Biodiversity

South Australia is using a mix of habitat restoration and predator control to recover biodiversity that has been heavily depleted over decades. The article notes that land-clearance rules were not established until the 1980s, after more than 70% of native vegetation had already been cleared in agricultural regions. Since European colonisation, 73 species are estimated to have gone extinct in South Australia, including 41 plants and 32 animals, while another 1,100 are threatened—possibly an underestimate. It highlights projects such as a Flinders Island refuge off Elliston on Eyre Peninsula, where feral cats and other pests are being eradicated to enable reintroductions, and “Bounceback,” led by the Department for Environment and Water, focusing on semi-arid ranges including Flinders, Olary and Gawler.