Victorian Biodiversity Strategy

Victorian Biodiversity Strategy
Name	Victorian Biodiversity Strategy
Jurisdiction	Victoria (Australia)
Introduced	2017
Responsible ministry	Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (Victoria)
Status	Active

Victorian Biodiversity Strategy

The Victorian Biodiversity Strategy is a policy initiative linking conservation planning across Victoria (Australia), aligning priorities with national frameworks such as the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and international commitments under the Convention on Biological Diversity and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. It aims to integrate action across agencies including the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (Victoria), the Parks Victoria system and statutory bodies such as the Victorian Environmental Assessment Council while coordinating with federal institutions like the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (Australia), regional entities including the Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority and municipal councils such as the City of Melbourne. The Strategy situates Victorian planning alongside programs from the Australian Government and links to conservation instruments used by bodies including the Atlas of Living Australia and the Victorian Biodiversity Atlas.

Background and objectives

The Strategy grew from antecedents such as the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 (Victoria), reviews by the Victorian Auditor-General's Office and inquiries like those conducted by the Parliament of Victoria and the Victorian Biodiversity Strategy Review Panel. Its objectives encompass targets cited in the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, commitments under the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change assessments and regional plans such as the Victorian Landscape Strategy. Core aims include reversing declines identified in assessments by the Victorian Environmental Assessment Council, protecting remnant habitat identified by the National Heritage List, and aligning with threats framed in reports by the Climate Change Authority. The Strategy also references endangered listings under the IUCN Red List, the EPBC Act lists, and state registers maintained by the Victorian Biodiversity Atlas.

Policy framework and governance

Governance draws on instruments including the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 (Victoria), the Victorian Planning Provisions, regional catchment plans administered by the Victorian Catchment Management Authorities and management frameworks used by Parks Victoria. Oversight involves coordination with federal mechanisms such as the EPBC Act processes and collaboration with research partners including the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation and universities like the University of Melbourne and the Monash University. Implementation uses advisory inputs from bodies such as the Victorian Environmental Assessment Council and stakeholder networks represented by organizations like the Australian Conservation Foundation, the World Wildlife Fund Australia and peak agricultural groups including the Victorian Farmers Federation.

Key actions and programs

Actions encompass habitat protection on reserves managed by Parks Victoria, restoration projects funded via partnerships with the Australian Government and philanthropic groups like the Paul Ramsay Foundation, invasive species control in cooperation with agencies such as the Department of Primary Industries (Victoria) and community programs run by NGOs like Landcare Australia and the Trust for Nature (Victoria). Programs include revegetation aligned with guidelines from the Victorian Planning Authority, biodiversity-sensitive fire management informed by the Country Fire Authority and strategic pest management guided by the Invasive Species Council. The Strategy also promotes research partnerships with institutions such as the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, the Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research and the CSIRO.

Monitoring, reporting, and outcomes

Monitoring frameworks cite datasets maintained by the Victorian Biodiversity Atlas, the Atlas of Living Australia and long-term ecological monitoring conducted at sites like the Heathland Reserves and Yarra Ranges National Park. Reporting mechanisms include statutory reviews by the Parliament of Victoria, audits by the Victorian Auditor-General's Office and performance indicators tracked against national reports to the Convention on Biological Diversity. Outcomes are evaluated using metrics comparable to those in studies published by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation and assessment methodologies from the IUCN and the Biodiversity Indicators Partnership.

Regional and species-specific initiatives

Regional initiatives target bioregions such as the Mallee (bioregion), the Gippsland Plains, the Grampians (Gariwerd) and river systems like the Murray River and the Goulburn River. Species-focused recovery programs include actions for taxa listed under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 (Victoria) and species recovery plans akin to those for the Leadbeater's Possum and the Growling Grass Frog, developed with input from the Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research, the University of Melbourne and specialist NGOs such as the Australian Wildlife Conservancy. Marine and coastal elements integrate work in areas including the Port Phillip Bay (Western Shoreline) and Bellarine Peninsula Ramsar site and partnerships with agencies like the Commonwealth Marine Parks program.

Stakeholder engagement and funding

Stakeholders include Traditional Owner groups such as the Wurundjeri People and the Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation, industry stakeholders represented by the Victorian Farmers Federation, conservation NGOs including the Australian Conservation Foundation and private landholders working with the Trust for Nature (Victoria)]. Funding streams combine state budget allocations overseen by the Department of Treasury and Finance (Victoria), federal grants under programs administered by the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (Australia), philanthropic contributions from entities such as the Ian Potter Foundation and market mechanisms including biodiversity offsets regulated through the Victorian Planning Provisions.

Criticisms and challenges

Critiques have been raised in reports by the Victorian Auditor-General's Office, submissions to the Parliament of Victoria and analyses by the Australian Conservation Foundation and academic commentators at the University of Melbourne and Monash University citing issues with resource adequacy, implementation of the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 (Victoria), coordination across agencies like the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (Victoria) and the Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions, and climate-driven pressures modeled in reports by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology and the Climate Council. Challenges include balancing development approvals overseen by the Victorian Planning Authority with conservation outcomes advocated by groups such as the World Wildlife Fund Australia and ensuring long-term monitoring comparable to national programs like those of the Atlas of Living Australia.

Category:Environment of Victoria (Australia)