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National Environmental Science Program
The 2026-27 Budget has delivered some exciting news. NESP Phase 3 is officially moving forward, with a $110.6 million investment over 7 years from 2027 to 2034. While the final scope is still being shaped, momentum is already building. The department is progressing program design, with guidelines expected later this year.
As National Reconciliation Week approaches, Indigenous partnerships are especially important. This year's theme, All In, reminds us that caring for Australia's environment is a shared responsibility. Valuing Indigenous knowledge must be central to how we do this work.
In the NESP, being all in means working in genuine partnership with Indigenous people. We listen to and prioritise the research needs of Indigenous land and sea managers. By working together, we support Indigenous ways of caring for Country and achieve better environmental outcomes.
This reflects the spirit of All In-working together, listening and letting Indigenous voices lead. Reconciliation takes effort from all of us.
Learn more about how NESP builds meaningful Indigenous research partnerships.
Hub highlights
Climate Systems Hub
Australia's new climate adaptation report card
Climate Systems Hub researchers have tracked Australia's progress on adapting to climate change. Their work looks at what is happening now and where we need more action.
The new hub report offers a clear picture of how Australia is preparing for climate change. It will be updated every 3 months. The report helps show what is working and where further effort could make a difference.
The findings:
- State and territory governments are involved in many projects, and local councils, community groups and scientists also help.
- Adaptation projects try to solve big climate problems. Many focus on making plans to keep people safe in the future.
- Some places appear more active because it is easier for them to share information, not because other places are not acting.
The report uses information from the Australian Adaptation Database. This is the first national list of climate adaptation actions. The database is public, easy to search and open to new entries. Since its launch in May 2025, it has grown to include more than 900 actions from across the country.
This work is part of the hub's project on enabling best practice adaptation.
Sustainable Communities and Waste Hub
From waste to tiles: New flooring for Aboriginal community homes
Regional and remote areas face housing and environmental challenges. Recycling is difficult because waste services are limited, places are far apart and transport costs are high.
Many regional Aboriginal communities also deal with housing and environmental health issues. They need materials that are strong, safe and suitable for local conditions.
The Sustainable Communities and Waste Hub is helping solve these problems by using new recycling technology. It works closely with regional communities to design solutions that suit local needs and are produced locally.
One of its projects is helping communities find simple recycling solutions that work where they live.
Hub researchers worked with the:
- Health Protection NSW's Aboriginal Environmental Health Unit
- Wellington Local Aboriginal Land Council.
They helped connect the research team with local homes needing new floors.
As part of the project, the team installed ceramic tiles made from recycled waste into one home in Nanima, Wellington, NSW. This shows that recycled materials can be used in real homes, not just tested in a lab.
Local tradespeople installed the tiles. This helped the workers learn about using recycled materials.
Ray Peckham, Property Manager at the Wellington Local Aboriginal Land Council, said, 'The project could replace carpet across the community, benefiting both tenants and the wider community.'
Jessica Spencer from NSW Ministry of Health's Aboriginal Environmental Health Unit said, 'Aboriginal people love Country and really care for Country. This recycled project really resonates with community.'
You can read the full story on how the hub used waste as a resource for Indigenous communities in Wellington.
Sustainable Communities and Waste Hub
Resilient Landscapes Hub
A blueprint for recognising important cultural entities
A national research project has come up with a new way to recognise animals, plants and ecosystems that are culturally significant to Indigenous people. These are called Culturally Significant Entities (CSEs).
Some are used for food and medicine. Some show if the environment is healthy. They can also appear in songlines and totems. However, they are not acknowledged in the same way as threatened species.
For 18 months, researchers from Curtin University worked with 300 Indigenous participants across Australia. This was part of a Resilient Landscapes Hub project recognising CSEs. Together, they made a national framework and developed more than 20 case studies.
The framework explains what CSEs are and outlines goals for keeping them safe. It also supports Indigenous people to help make decisions about caring for Country.
This aims to support better environmental outcomes with stronger cultural guidance.
Explore the case study examples to see how CSEs are important for healthy Country.
Marine and Coastal Hub
Mapping Australia's tropical oyster reefs
Oyster reefs support coastal environments and communities across Australia. They protect shorelines, improve water quality and provide habitat for many species.
Temperate oyster reefs have declined around the world, including in Australia. In contrast, researchers know little about tropical oyster reefs, which includes their distribution, ecology and condition.
A hub project has mapped tropical oyster reefs across northern Australia.
Researchers from Griffith University used a combination of satellite imagery and citizen science data from OzFish's Great Shellfish Hunt to map tropical oyster reefs. So far, the team has mapped over 250 tropical oyster reefs.
However, historical reef records show evidence of declining reefs. More than half may already have disappeared.
Close relatives of the Sydney rock oyster, Saccostrea glomerata, build most of these tropical reefs. But so little is known about these tropical oysters and their biology. Many of these species don't have a scientific name yet.
The project improves our understanding of tropical oyster reef ecology. It also focuses on the biology of the oysters that create them. This will help guide future conservation and management.
Watch how the hub finds and studies reef systems that were not known before in northern Australia.
Keep up to date
Stay in touch and find out more about the interesting work happening across the Australian Government's climate, water and environment portfolios:
