Gondwana Link Ltd is a ‘Company Limited by Guarantee’ whose membership consists of groups working to achieve the Link. Gondwana Link Ltd was established on 1 August 2009, formalising the collaboration between groups in place since August 2002. Gondwana Link Ltd is an independent entity; a ‘keeper of the vision’, provider of leadership in achieving the vision and an integrated support network for all involved. Gondwana Link has a Board and a small staff.
Objectives
Under our Constitution:
‘The company is established for the public charitable purposes of protecting and restoring the natural environment across south-western Australia from the wet forests to the edge of the Nullarbor by, without limitation:
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- supporting the conduct of research;
- promoting ongoing learning and informed debate about good ecological practices and policies;
- guiding and supporting activities in the area, including development of plans for specific operational areas; and
- developing, holding, maintaining and disseminating information and data on the area.’
This wording was deliberately designed to give us a broad range of ability to act wherever the opportunity to achieve our core purpose was greatest.
Functions
Gondwana Link Ltd. works with a range of groups and others to achieve the Gondwana Link vision. We have six clear functions:
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High profile. Ensure the ecological vision for Gondwana Link has such a desirable profile and level of recognition that a wide range of organisations and individuals want to contribute and continue contributing, to the work of achieving that vision.
- Funds to achieve tangible outcomes. Work independently and with organisations and individuals to ensure a steady stream of funding and benefits are available to those working to achieve essential parts of the ecological vision for Gondwana Link, with the end result of exponential progress being made against clear targets.
- Clear standards. Provide clear ecologically-based standards and measures of success to guide the range of work underway and ensure maximum effectiveness in achieving the overall vision.
- Monitoring and evaluation. Establish and operate transparent evaluation processes that enable ready evaluation of the relative worth of various projects and their contribution towards achieving whole of Link objectives.
- Critical gaps filled. Identify key gaps in the range of work underway to achieve Gondwana Link and work to fill those gaps effectively but with a minimal ongoing role for Gondwana Link Ltd (i.e. attract new groups or incubate a defined role then exit).
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Continuity. Enable the collective effort to survive the ups and downs of area-specific or group-specific work by ensuring that Gondwana Link Ltd is viable and fully functional into the future so it can continue to provide leadership, support, guidance, strategic direction and agreed-on standards.
Principles
“Values-led conservation is … founded on the recognition that action to protect nature happens when arguments are framed in terms that resonate with the combination of imagination, feelings and rationality that guide decision making in people’s everyday lives”. Gaia, the next big idea. Mary Midgley (2001). London.
Our principles encompass both the basic assumptions underpinning Gondwana Link and the standards we apply to our work. They are:
- A vastly increased scale of conservation action is essential.
- Long term conservation requires the repair of ecological functions and strengthening of resilience and change across all scales and sectors of society.
- There is no single solution – environmental diversity requires diversity in approaches.
- All steps taken should be useful in themselves, with the whole being greater than the sum of the parts.
- Actions should be informed by the best available evidence-based science interpreted through experience and common sense.
- Use ongoing and highly adaptive processes rather than pre-determined conservation area designs and strategies.
- Clarity on objectives and processes is essential for efficient integration.
