World · East Asia & Pacific · 7 hrs ago
Perth couple gives $120 million to Australian conservation groups
Perth couple Alexandra and Julian Burt donated $120 million to 10 conservation groups across Australia.
The Australian Wildlife Conservancy and Bush Heritage Australia each received $25 million, their largest grants to date.
The Australian Wildlife Conservancy manages about 1.7 per cent of Australia’s land and aims to increase that to 5 per cent.
The donation will also support research into bats, which make up more than a fifth of mammal species but are often left out of conservation management.
Bush Heritage plans to buy a 20,000-hectare cattle station near Cairns, described as its most ambitious single acquisition.
The funding could help groups expand their work to restore ecosystems and protect native wildlife over the next decade and beyond.
Perth couple Alexandra and Julian Burt have donated a combined $120 million to 10 conservation groups across Australia.
The Australian Wildlife Conservancy and Bush Heritage Australia each received $25 million.
The Australian Wildlife Conservancy says the funding could help it expand its land management from about 1.7 per cent of Australia to 5 per cent.
Bush Heritage Australia plans to use its donation to buy Wooroora cattle station, a 20,000-hectare property near Cairns.
Several groups said the donations were the largest they had received and would help them expand their work.
- Who
- Alexandra and Julian Burt, a Perth couple, donated the money to 10 conservation groups.
- What
- They gave a combined $120 million to conservation groups across Australia.
- When
- Published on November 10, 2026. The donation date is not stated.
- Where
- The recipients are conservation groups across Australia.
- Why
- The Australian Wildlife Conservancy said the money could help it expand land management and research. Bush Heritage Australia said it would go towards buying a property.
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This story does not have a timeline yet.
- Total donation
- $120 million
- Recipients
- 10 conservation groups across Australia
- Australian Wildlife Conservancy grant
- $25 million
- Bush Heritage Australia grant
- $25 million
- AWC land management
- About 1.7 per cent of Australia, with a goal of 5 per cent
- Planned Bush Heritage purchase
- 20,000-hectare Wooroora cattle station near Cairns
What people are saying
We might actually be able to do this.
completely transformative
The next 10 to 15 years are going to make a significant difference to how much biodiversity we're able to keep on into the future.
Bats make up over 20 per cent of all mammals, but they are a species that are generally not included in conservation management.