Project Phoenix - Greening Australia

One of the key Project Phoenix activities was the development of a 10-Year Strategy for the Australian Native Seed Sector, which proposes a coordinated approach to growing the sector. The Strategy’s ultimate aim is to support a sustainable supply of high-quality native seed to underpin landscape restoration and biodiversity conservation.

Read the Strategy for the Australian Native Seed Sector

Read the Strategy Action Prospectus

As part of the national response to the 2019-20 bushfires, Greening Australia has received $5m in initial funding from the Federal Government for a strategic program to build and secure native seed and plant supply for landscape restoration, recovery and resilience in bushfire-affected areas and other vulnerable landscapes.

Native seed represents growth, potential and hope, which is why Project Phoenix has an emphasis on practical action. We must ensure future bushfire recovery can be undertaken with the confidence of having a strong seed and native plant supply sector to support it.

The project includes the planning and mobilisation of key activities in the native seed and plant sector, as well as the development of a self-sustaining sector supporting Indigenous groups, regional communities and landholders.

Read all Project Phoenix resources

The Challenge

Investment into the structure and function of the native seed industry has been a key issue for at least two decades. The recent national bushfire crisis has highlighted that if we are to ensure viable conservation and future efforts to undertake large scale and continued bushfire restoration, as well as the need to address future landscape resilience, the native seed and plant supply sector is not currently in a position to respond at the scale required.

The Solution

Over its 16-month life-cycle, Project Phoenix aims to address some of the immediate native seed priorities following the fires, such as collecting from identified threatened species and undertaking critical steps in the capacity building and mobilisation of the sector. This includes:

Working with a broad range of stakeholders, including local communities, Indigenous groups, environmental and natural resource organisations, government, fire agencies, regulators, land managers and seed businesses
Developing a 10-year strategy for the future design and success of the sector.

The government-funded national native seed strategy will be overseen by an independent steering group and regular reporting will occur throughout the year on progress and plans.