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BIODIVERSITY LEADERSHIP ACROSS GOVERNMENT
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A key ingredient of success for this plan is government leadership, demonstrated through consistent decision-making, best-practice biodiversity protection and regular evaluation of the plan to refine and improve its implementation. This section explains how this will be achieved.
RELEVANT GOALS
PRIORITY 21
To encourage more Victorians to value nature.
Apply the principles of Protecting Victoria’s Environment – Biodiversity 2036, and embed early consideration of biodiversity and climate change impacts, in planning and decisionmaking processes across government.
To ensure that Victoria’s natural environment is healthy. Establishing Victoria as a leader in biodiversity The successful implementation of Protecting Victoria’s Environment – Biodiversity 2036 will require a whole-ofgovernment approach to achieving our goals. The Victorian Government, as the principal steward of our environmental, social and economic sustainability, will align and co-ordinate decision making and actions across the government sector. Our overriding ambition is no less than to make Victoria a national leader in biodiversity protection. To achieve our aims, including the economic and social goals of the plan, it is essential that early consideration of biodiversity and climate change becomes an integral and routine part of decision-making across government. Key government agencies outside the traditional environment portfolio will have vital roles in delivering and reporting on their biodiversity commitments. To achieve this, the principles of this plan must be applied to all projects across government that may affect the environment or our sustainability.
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Evaluating the plan Evaluation involves an ongoing cycle of learning and questioning what has been done. It tests the appropriateness, effectiveness and efficiency of key directions, and thereby contributes to continual improvement. It is a critical part of ensuring appropriate expenditure of public funds, and accountability for what is delivered. The Victorian Government has a key role in evaluating the success of Protecting Victoria’s Environment – Biodiversity 2036. The plan will be reviewed every five years to help us answer questions such as: • Have we achieved what we set out to do? • Could we be doing things better? Is there a more efficient way of doing things? • Should we continue to do this or do something else? The answers to these questions will enable us to refine and improve our approach, to ensure that the most efficient and effective methods are being applied to meet our social, economic and environmental goals. The Government will publicly report the findings of this review. The evaluation of the plan will primarily be driven by the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning. However, as this is a whole-of-government plan, key government agencies outside the traditional environment portfolio will have roles reporting on commitments relevant to their portfolios. The Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability is well placed to report on progress of the plan towards its goals and targets, in conjunction with five yearly State of the Environment (SoE) reporting. DELWP will collaborate with the Commissioner on this task and will evaluate effectiveness of approaches and review targets in a similar timeframe.
A flexible approach will enable Victoria to respond to new ideas and directions flagged through the formal review process, but will also ensure we can respond to new information or risks. This is particularly important in the face of climate change, and as we extend our information base, such as through the use of citizen science. If new risks or information arise that require new or changed directions or actions, these will be adopted prior to the five-yearly review.
PRIORITY 22 Embed Protecting Victoria’s Environment – Biodiversity 2036 into legislation, regularly review the effectiveness of the plan, and report on progress towards targets and goals in collaboration with the Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability every five years.