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| Department of Sustainability and Environment (Victoria) | |
|---|---|
| Agency name | Department of Sustainability and Environment (Victoria) |
| Type | Department |
| Formed | 2002 |
| Dissolved | 2013 |
| Superseding | Department of Environment and Primary Industries |
| Jurisdiction | State of Victoria |
| Headquarters | Melbourne, Victoria |
| Minister1 name | Various |
Department of Sustainability and Environment (Victoria)
The Department of Sustainability and Environment (Victoria) was a state government agency in Victoria, Australia, responsible for natural resource management, parks, water, and emergency response from 2002 until its functions were absorbed in 2013. It operated across Victoria, interacting with agencies such as the Parks Victoria, the Catchment Management Authorities (Victoria), the Metropolitan Fire Brigade, and the Country Fire Authority. The department reported to ministers in the Government of Victoria and engaged with stakeholders including the Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative, the Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation, and industry bodies such as the Victorian Farmers Federation.
The agency was established through administrative changes under the Bracks Ministry in 2002, succeeding preceding departments created during reorganisations involving the Department of Natural Resources and Environment (Victoria) and the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (Victoria), and it later merged into the Department of Environment and Primary Industries under the Napthine Ministry in 2013. During its existence the department implemented programs in response to events such as the Black Saturday bushfires and contributed to inquiries including the Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission. It worked alongside institutions like the Victorian Environmental Assessment Council, the Victorian Auditor-General's Office, and the Parliament of Victoria.
The department's charter included management of public land and protected areas managed with partners such as Parks Victoria, coordination of fire preparedness with the Country Fire Authority and the Metropolitan Fire Brigade, administration of water resources through interaction with agencies like the Goulburn–Murray Water and the Melbourne Water, and implementation of biodiversity conservation aligned with advice from the Threatened Species Scientific Committee and the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. It provided policy support to ministers in portfolios comparable to those held in the Brumby Ministry and the Baillieu Ministry, and liaised with federal entities including the Department of the Environment (Australia) and statutory bodies such as the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority for comparative programs.
The department was organised into branches reflecting responsibilities similar to those in agencies like the Victorian Fisheries Authority and the former Department of Natural Resources and Environment (Victoria), including divisions for land management, water, biodiversity, and emergency management. Executive leadership reported to ministers in the Government of Victoria and coordinated with statutory authorities including the Catchment Management Authorities (Victoria) and boards such as those of Parks Victoria. Regional offices covered areas aligned with local government areas like the City of Melbourne, the Shire of Yarra Ranges, and the Shire of Mornington Peninsula.
Key initiatives included fire management planning influenced by lessons from the Ash Wednesday bushfires and the Black Saturday bushfires, the Victorian Biodiversity Strategy coordinated with the Australian Network for Plant Conservation and recommendations from the Victorian Environmental Assessment Council, waterway restoration projects in catchments such as the Murray River and the Yarra River, invasive species control in conjunction with agencies like the Department of Agriculture (Victoria), and joint management agreements with Aboriginal corporations including the Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation and the Djab Wurrung Heritage Protection Committee.
The department implemented and administered Victorian statutes including the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988, the Forest Act 1958 (Victoria), the Water Act 1989 (Victoria), and the National Parks Act 1975 (Victoria), and operated within frameworks established by the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 at federal level and state instruments influenced by recommendations from the Victorian Law Reform Commission. Policy outputs referenced strategies such as the Victorian Government's bushfire policy responses following the Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission and compliance regimes reviewed by the Victorian Auditor-General's Office.
The department managed protected areas and worked with agencies like Parks Victoria and international frameworks such as the Ramsar Convention for wetlands including sites on the Gippsland Lakes and collaborated with scientific institutions including the University of Melbourne, the Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research, and the CSIRO on research into threatened species such as the Leadbeater's possum and ecological communities in regions including the Grampians National Park and the Great Otway National Park.
The agency faced criticism over bushfire preparedness and fuel reduction outcomes following the Black Saturday bushfires, scrutiny from inquiries such as the Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission, debates over logging in native forests in the Central Highlands (Victoria) and conflicts with conservation groups like the Australian Conservation Foundation and the Gippsland Environment Group, and legal challenges involving land use by parties including the Victorian Farmers Federation and Aboriginal stakeholders such as the Gunaikurnai. Operational critiques were reported by the Victorian Auditor-General's Office and debated in the Parliament of Victoria.
Category:Government departments of Victoria (state) Category:Environmental organisations based in Australia