CBCS Seminar: Marc Hockings 31 March 2026

Emeritus Prof. Marc Hockings AO. Title: Mind the Gap – Achieving quality as well as quantity in protected and conserved area systems   Abstract: Globally and in Australia, there is a long history of (almost) meeting targets for establishing protected areas, while failing to ensure that these areas are sufficiently effective to conserve biodiversity. Over time, the design of these targets has improved, particularly through the incorporation of specific measures of the quality of site selection, governance, management and outcomes, rather than focusing solely on the extent of protected and conserved areas. There is strong evidence that these targets have increased national ambition to expand protected area systems, and progress in achieving quantitative coverage has generally been good. However, although the qualitative elements of the targets are widely recognised, performance against these aspects remains poor. The IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas’ work on management effectiveness, together with the IUCN Green List of Protected and Conserved Areas, has sought to address this persistent gap.   Bio: Marc Hockings is an Emeritus Professor in the School of Environment and the Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science at the University of Queensland. He is a long-term member of the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) and an advisor to the Chair of WCPA. He is also a member of the IUCN Species Survival Commission and the Commission on Ecosystem Management. Marc has been awarded for his work developing approaches to assessing conservation effectiveness of protected areas. He was made an Officer of the Order of Australia for distinguished service to environmental conservation and tertiary education. He brings his experience from over 35 years in international and national conservation management to his role as President of Wildlife Queensland.