Institutional arrangements for the management of land have been relatively stable, although there has been considerable investment in reviewing existing strategies and developing new ones. Consolidation of much of the Australian Government’s funding of the National Landcare Programme has streamlined some governance processes and coordinated investments, from the national to the local scale.

Investment in management of the land environment includes financial and in-kind commitments by all levels of government, private landowners and businesses, philanthropic and other nongovernment organisations, Indigenous Australians and communities. Government funding includes programs specifically directed towards land care, as well as programs that contribute to aspects of the land environment (e.g. the 20 Million Trees Programme) or to addressing the pressures on land (e.g. biosecurity programs).

Increased Indigenous ownership and management of land, particularly in remote areas, provide important ecological, social, political and economic outcomes from looking after Country. Less complex and more dynamic funding and governance arrangements would improve these opportunities.