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If conservation depends on people, then community partnerships are the lynchpin to conservation success. The contribution of local knowledge, intellectual capital and volunteer labour not only saves project managers invaluable time and money, it fosters ownership and longevity into conservation initiatives well beyond their projected timeframe. Island communities are socially and culturally diverse and driven by a range of motivations. Hence, if we are to deliver conservation programs at scale, we need to better understand and embed these drivers into program design. We present four contemporary case studies on major populated islands in Australia where community collaborations are building the collective impact needed to underpin conservation success. They contain key learnings about community involvement, to help guide managers with future island planning and avoid some pitfalls. Conservation depends on people and community partnerships not only save time and money, but they also foster ownership and longevity of conservation initiatives well beyond their project timeframe. To engage island communities successfully in conservation efforts, we need to understand their motivations and embed these into program design. We present four case studies on major populated islands in Australia where community collaboration is building the collective impact needed for conservation success. They contain key learnings to help guide managers in future island planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Australia's approach to managing and conserving its offshore islands as important national assets warrants urgent review. There is a growing realisation that the current trajectory of loss of natural heritage on islands must be reversed, particularly in an era of increasing climate change. We propose a role description and an organisational model for a national Australian Islands Alliance that champions conservation action, prioritises investments aligned to risks, and that connects partners at a strategic national level. A national alliance offers important opportunity to assess threats and report on condition. Four key foundations underpin a national alliance dedicated to championing island care and expert management: (1) management informed by evidence; (2) sound return on investment; (3) national coordination in partnership with States and Territories; and (4) community participation inclusive of Aboriginal peoples' and Torres Strait Islanders' custodial rights and interests. The message from experiences shared across Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific region is that traditional island custodians and stakeholders are vital partners to restoration efforts. These shared learnings collectively demonstrate the time is now for Australia to move forward with a respectful and unified direction to progress successful and sustainable island conservation and restoration. We propose a role description and an organisational model for an effective national island alliance that champions conservation action, prioritises investments aligned to risks, and connects partners at a national level. This is because a nationally coordinated approach to strategically manage Australia's offshore islands is lacking. The creation of an 'Australian Islands Alliance' can form a collective of conservation practitioners across Australia's States and Territories, partnering with island communities, and with representation across a wide spectrum of island contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]