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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.

Conservation entrepreneurship is based on the notion that it is possible to build a business system around a conservation challenge, and in doing so, create a targeted and adequate resourcing mechanism to support interventions, over adequate time frames. Constructing business models is not something that is usually at the forefront of a conservation practitioner’s agenda, nor often within their capacity. This paper takes the reader through the process of building such models, within the context of offshore islands in the Australian region, and using structures and terminologies that are commonplace in the business world, but perhaps not so much so in the conservation sector. In addition, this business model approach is presented in context of the ‘collective impact’ framework, which involves centralised infrastructure, dedicated management, and a structure ensuring development of a common agenda, shared measurement systems (i.e. of what success looks like), continuous communication, and mutually reinforcing activities amongst all those involved.

Context Island landscapes and component biodiversity provide invaluable services. However, these are threatened by climate change. There is currently no framework for assessing and mitigating such threats on islands. Aims Based on an existing adaptation standard, we aimed to propose a systematic approach for planning the adaptation of islands based on a risk management process. Methods For each risk, we investigated a range of adaptation approaches that can be considered and selected by conservation practitioners in designing conservation interventions. Key results For each risk identified, a range of adaptation measures can be selected: do nothing; maintain and enhance habitat, intensive species management, and preserve populations (including through ex situ conservation); or exploit the natural characteristics of islands to conserve biodiversity. Conclusions This approach provides a decision-making matrix of risks/drivers vs adaptation measures to assist in the design of conservation interventions, which can be applied to Australian islands on a priority basis. Implications There will inevitably remain gaps in knowledge and understanding that will hamper conservation efforts. There will also remain circumstances where adaptation is not possible and loss of services and biodiversity will follow as a result of climate change. However, the proposed model for assessing and adapting to climate change risks is a step forward from the current situation, where relatively little consideration is being given to climate change when developing island conservation interventions.

Australia needs a new shared vision that the current trajectory of loss of natural heritage on its offshore islands is not acceptable and needs to change. This Special Issue brings together seven papers from leaders and practitioners with experience in offshore islands across the Australian and New Zealand context. The fundamentals for each paper are to suggest potential solutions or scenarios to move forward with island policy, and management.