ONE of Australia’s most influential wildlife conservation figures will deliver a presentation in Brisbane on Saturday arguing that successful conservation depends on creating value around species and ecosystems, rather than relying solely on preservation-based approaches.

The Royal Society of Queensland will host zoologist Professor Grahame Webb AO for a presentation titled “Wildlife Conservation and Environmentalism: Biopolitics versus common sense” at the University of Queensland’s St Lucia campus on Saturday afternoon.

Professor Webb is best known for his work in crocodile conservation and sustainable wildlife management, but his broader views on balancing environmental outcomes with economic and social realities will resonate with many involved in agriculture and pastoral land management.

Professor Webb maintains that effective conservation relies on creating value around species and ecosystems, as opposed to relying solely on preservation-based approaches.

That philosophy has particular relevance for northern Australia’s cattle sector, where debates around land use, biodiversity, carbon projects, native species management, vegetation policy and sustainability reporting are increasingly shaping business operations and investment decisions.

Professor Webb has spent decades working in wildlife conservation in Australia and internationally and has written extensively about how conservation issues can become “embroiled in conflict.”

The presentation will be held at 2pm on Saturday, 23 May, in Room E109 of the Forgan Smith Building at the University of Queensland, with both in-person and Zoom attendance options available.

Entry $10 – tickets to attend are available through the Royal Society of Queensland’s TryBooking page.