Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists
An independent Australian group of scientists, economists and business people working to improve environmental policy and stewardship.
Last updated August 25, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
The Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists, commonly called the Wentworth Group, is an independent Australian policy and advocacy group whose members bring expertise in ecology, hydrology, climate science, environmental law, economics, geography and related fields. It is not a conventional commercial brand or a membership-based professional association. Instead, it operates as a public-interest platform that develops evidence-based proposals on the management of Australia's biodiversity, landscapes, rivers and water resources. The group takes its name from the venue used for its principal meetings before the publication of its first major statement, Blueprint for a Living Continent, in November 2002. That document presented the group as a collective of experts concerned that Australia's economic and political systems were failing to account adequately for environmental limits. Its recommendations included clarifying water property rights and the environmental obligations attached to those rights, restoring ecological flows to stressed rivers including the Murray and its tributaries, ending broad-scale clearing of remnant native vegetation, compensating farmers for environmental services, and incorporating environmental costs into the prices of food, fibre and water. The Wentworth Group's work is organized around three broad objectives. First, it seeks innovation in the management of Australian biodiversity, land and water. Second, it aims to bring business, community and political leaders into practical discussions about environmental stewardship and long-term national wellbeing. Third, it supports capacity-building by mentoring and encouraging younger scientists, lawyers and economists who want to understand and contribute to public policy. Its influence has generally come through reports, public statements, submissions and engagement with governments and civic institutions rather than through commercial products. Key areas of attention have included national water planning, the Murray-Darling Basin, land clearing, environmental flows, landscape conservation, biodiversity protection and the design of policy frameworks that reward sustainable land management. The group has also participated in public debate about Commonwealth environmental powers and the adequacy of environmental governance. The membership has included prominent Australian researchers and policy practitioners, among them climate scientist Lesley Hughes, atmospheric scientist David Karoly, river ecologist Richard Kingsford, environmental lawyer Emma Carmody, environmental hydrogeologist Bradley Moggridge, environmental scientist Jamie Pittock, river ecologist Fran Sheldon, geographer Bruce Thom, Indigenous biodiversity scholar Teagan Shields, climate-change lawyer Martijn Wilder, environmental law scholar Justine Bell-James and ecologist Matthew Colloff. Former participants have included Tim Flannery, Peter Cullen, David Lindenmayer, Hugh Possingham, Quentin Grafton, Mike Young and other specialists in conservation, economics, hydrology and public administration. The Wentworth Group remains an Australian environmental policy voice rather than a company with conventional corporate ownership, revenue reporting or listed securities. Its brand identity is associated with independent expert analysis, cross-disciplinary collaboration and advocacy for reforms that treat ecosystems as essential public assets. Because membership and policy priorities can change over time, current composition and initiatives should be checked against the group's official website.
History
The Wentworth Group emerged in Australia in 2002 from meetings among scientists and other public-interest experts concerned about the condition of the country's natural resources. The group's name refers to the venue where its principal meetings took place before the release of its first blueprint. Rather than forming as a commercial enterprise, it developed as an independent forum through which specialists could combine scientific analysis with recommendations for governments, communities and business leaders. Its first major publication, Blueprint for a Living Continent, was released in November 2002. The document argued that environmental degradation was not simply a conservation problem but also a consequence of weak economic incentives and unclear public responsibilities. Among its proposed reforms were clearer water property rights, explicit environmental obligations attached to water use, restoration of ecological flows in stressed river systems, an immediate halt to broad-scale clearing of remnant native vegetation, and assistance for rural communities adjusting to new rules. It also proposed paying landholders for environmental services such as clean water, healthy soils and fresh air when those services exceeded ordinary legal duties. A further principle was that environmental costs hidden in the production of food, fibre and water should be reflected in economic decision-making. The group's program has consistently combined three strands: improving management of biodiversity, land and water; convening dialogue among scientific, political, business and community interests; and building the next generation's policy capacity through mentoring and support for younger scientists, lawyers and economists. This combination has allowed the Wentworth Group to present environmental questions as issues of governance, economics and institutional design as well as ecology. Water policy became an early and prominent area of work. In July 2003, the group published Blueprint for a National Water Plan. Its publications and statements have also addressed the Murray-Darling Basin, environmental flows, the relationship between water entitlements and ecological requirements, and the need for national frameworks capable of dealing with cumulative environmental pressures. In the same period, it produced A New Model for Landscape Conservation in New South Wales for the state's premier, extending its focus from rivers to landscape-scale conservation and land-use policy. Over time, the group has continued to contribute statements and reports on environmental governance. Its 2012 statement on changes to Commonwealth powers to protect Australia's environment reflected its concern with the legal and institutional foundations of conservation policy. The group has also issued material connected with the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, an issue that brings together water allocation, agricultural production, Indigenous interests, river ecology and national environmental responsibility. Membership has changed across the group's history. Former participants include conservationist Tim Flannery, ecologists Peter Cullen and Denis Saunders, landscape ecologist David Lindenmayer, applied mathematician Hugh Possingham, economists Quentin Grafton and Mike Young, hydrologists Richard Davis and John Williams, and policy and investment specialists such as Anna Skarbek. Peter Cullen remained a member until his death in 2008. Current or recently listed members include environmental lawyers, climate scientists, river ecologists, geographers and Indigenous environmental scholars. This multidisciplinary composition is central to the group's identity. The Wentworth Group is best understood as an independent Australian environmental policy and advocacy institution. It has no reported conventional parent company, listed shares or commercial product portfolio. Its outputs are expert reports, public statements, policy analysis and engagement with decision-makers. The official website should be consulted for the latest membership, publications and active priorities.
- 2012
Commonwealth environmental powers statement
[1]The group published a statement addressing changes to Commonwealth powers relevant to environmental protection.
- 2003
National water-policy blueprint
[1]The group published Blueprint for a National Water Plan, setting out principles for water allocation and environmental protection.
- 2003
New South Wales landscape-conservation report
[1]It prepared A New Model for Landscape Conservation in New South Wales for Premier Bob Carr.
- 2002
Formation and first public blueprint
[1]The group emerged from meetings at the venue that gave it its name and released Blueprint for a Living Continent in November.
Products and positioning
An independent, evidence-led Australian environmental policy group that connects scientific expertise with public-policy advocacy and civic dialogue.
Policy blueprint · 2002
Blueprint for a Living Continent
The Wentworth Group's first major public statement set out a broad reform agenda for Australia's environmental future. It linked biodiversity, land degradation and water stress to institutional and economic failures, and advocated clearer water rights, environmental flows, an end to broad-scale native vegetation clearing, payments for environmental services and recognition of environmental costs in market prices.
Water-policy report · 2003
Blueprint for a National Water Plan
This report developed the group's water-policy position into a national framework. Its subject matter included the allocation of water between consumptive use and ecosystems, the restoration of river health and the institutional arrangements needed to manage Australia's water resources sustainably.
Landscape-conservation report · 2003
A New Model for Landscape Conservation in New South Wales
Prepared for the New South Wales premier, this report examined approaches to landscape conservation and the policy mechanisms needed to protect natural systems while addressing the needs of rural communities and land managers.
Marketing campaigns
- 2012Commonwealth environmental-protection powers
Australia
The group publicly addressed changes to Commonwealth authority affecting Australia's environmental protection system.
- 2003National water planning advocacy
Australia
Through its national water blueprint, the group promoted a coordinated approach to water allocation, river restoration and environmental protection.
- 2003New South Wales landscape conservation
Australia
The group brought its conservation and land-management ideas into state policy discussions through a report for the New South Wales government.
- 2002Living Continent environmental-reform agenda
Australia
The group used its first blueprint to advocate integrated reform of biodiversity, land clearing, water rights, environmental flows and incentives for sustainable land management.
Brand decisions
2003
Prioritize national water planningStrategyBackground
Water allocation and the ecological condition of Australia's rivers were central concerns in the group's early work.
Action taken
The group released a national water-plan blueprint advocating clearer entitlements and restoration of environmental flows.
2002
Adopt an integrated environmental-policy platformStrategyBackground
The group identified biodiversity decline, land clearing, soil loss, salinity and stressed rivers as interconnected policy problems.
Action taken
It published a blueprint combining ecological restoration with changes to water rights, land-clearing rules, environmental payments and pricing incentives.
Recent events
- 2012
Statement on changes to Commonwealth powers to protect Australia's environment[1]
Regulation
The group issued a public statement concerning proposed or enacted changes affecting Commonwealth environmental protection powers.
- 2003
Wentworth Group releases Blueprint for a National Water Plan[1]
Other
The report set out the group's proposed framework for national water management, including stronger recognition of environmental water needs.
- 2003
Wentworth Group reports on landscape conservation in New South Wales[1]
Other
A report prepared for the New South Wales premier addressed policy approaches to conserving landscapes and natural resources.
- 2002
Wentworth Group publishes Blueprint for a Living Continent[1]
Other
The group's first public blueprint outlined reforms for sustainable management of Australia's land, water and biodiversity resources.
Sources2 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/wentworth-group-of-concerned-scientists · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled