Andrew and Nicola Forrest will sharpen the focus of their now $7.6 billion philanthropic Minderoo Foundation to three core areas in an acknowledgement that they may have taken on too many causes in too many jurisdictions.

Minderoo, under newly appointed chief executive John Hartman, will put more emphasis on work in Australia and the Asia Pacific, and focus its efforts on three areas: helping vulnerable communities; gender and equality; and protecting oceans.