1 Clear consideration of costs, condition and conservation benefits yield better planning outcomes Megan C. Evans 1 *, Ayesha I. T. Tulloch 1 , Elizabeth A. Law 2 , Keren G. Raiter 3 , Hugh P. Possingham 2,4 , Kerrie A. Wilson 2 1 The Australian National University, Fenner School of Environment and Society, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 0200, Australia 2 The University of Queensland, Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, School of Biological Sciences, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia 3 The University of Western Australia, The School of Plant Biology, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia 4 Imperial College London, Department of Life Sciences, Silwood Park, Ascot SL5 7PY, Berkshire, England, UK *Corresponding Author Email: megan.evans@anu.edu.au Address: Fenner School of Environment and Society, ANU College of Medicine, Biology and Environment, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia Abstract The conservation benefit of a management action depends on what would have happened in absence of an intervention, and whether the conservation objective is to maintain existing biodiversity values, or to restore those that have been lost. How this benefit is calculated and considered in spatial prioritisation analyses could influence the expected cost-effectiveness of management, although this has not previously been explored. Here, we use a comprehensive decision theoretic approach to identify management priorities in a region of ecological, cultural and economic significance, the Great Western Woodlands (GWW) of south-western Australia. To demonstrate how cost, condition and conservation benefits affect prioritisation outcomes, we consider two different conservation objectives: the maintenance of native vegetation communities, and the restoration of natural fire regimes. We compare the results from (1) our comprehensive approach, to priorities identified using two alternative approaches: (2) consider generic management costs (travel, labour) and assume that landscape condition is homogenous,