Summary of the draft plan

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WHAT IS THE PLAN?

Victoria’s natural environment is diverse, unique and precious. Human lives are dependent on a healthy natural environment – for our social wellbeing and for our economy. It is valuable in its own right but also for the benefits it brings. Unfortunately, it is in decline.

GOALS

To continue to enjoy the benefits of a healthy natural environment we must accept a massive challenge – stopping biodiversity decline.

As a first step, the Victorian Government’s plan, Protecting Victoria’s Environment – Biodiversity 2036, will provide a roadmap for our overall response to the challenge and encourage all Victorians to be actively engaged and support the protection and rebuilding of our natural environment.

What is biodiversity? All the components of the living world: the numbers and variety of plants, animals and other living beings, including micro-organisms, across our land, rivers, coast and ocean.

GOAL 1: TO ENCOURAGE MORE VICTORIANS TO VALUE NATURE

GOAL 2: TO ENSURE THAT VICTORIA’S NATURAL ENVIRONMENT IS HEALTHY

Victorians understand that their personal wellbeing and the economic wellbeing of Victoria are dependent on the health of the natural environment.

Victoria has flourishing plant and animal populations, improved habitats and functioning resilient ecosystems.

MEASURABLE OBJECTIVES

MEASURING PROGRESS TOWARDS GOALS Increase the number of Victorians spending time enjoying nature.

Halt the overall decline of threatened species and secure the greatest possible number of species in the wild in the face of climate change.

Increase the percentage of Victorian organisations reporting and managing their performance against measures that support the natural environment.

Improve the overall extent and condition of native habitats across terrestrial, coastal, marine and freshwater environments.

Increase the number of Victorians acting to protect nature (e.g. volunteering, making everyday choices).

Improve ecological regimes to best support biodiversity in a changing environment.


AREAS FOR ACTION

A healthy environment for healthy Victorians Help people to connect to nature so that more people share in its benefits and contribute to a healthy environment.

Linking our society and economy to the environment Assist people to understand the environment’s value to our way of life, so that all Victorians – governments, businesses and communities – consider the environment in their decisions.

Investing together to protect our environment Secure funding for on-ground actions to turn around the legacy of biodiversity decline, and bring together government, business, community and philanthropic sectors to work together.

Better, smarter management of our biodiversity Set up a better system for managing our natural environment because we want to make the most of everyone’s contribution and deal with climate change.

Biodiversity leadership across government Government will lead by example and report on progress so all Victorians understand how we’re tracking against our goals in halting biodiversity decline.


DEVELOPING THE PLAN AND BEYOND DELWP has worked together with key groups to develop the draft plan.

Now we need your input and ideas to ensure we achieve our vision for a healthy, valued and actively cared for environment. After public consultation, DELWP will prepare a final plan which will set the course of action for many years to come. The plan will be supported by a refreshed Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 (FFG Act) and reviewed native vegetation clearing regulations. More information can be found online at the consultation website – HaveYourSay at DELWP:

ELECTION COMMITMENT

RESEARCH, PLANNING & REVIEW

TESTING AND REFINING WITH STAKEHOLDER REFERENCE GROUPS

PUBLIC CONSULTATION

haveyoursay.delwp.vic.gov.au/biodiversity-plan

MODIFICATIONS FOLLOWING REVIEW OF PUBLIC SUBMISSIONS

Review of the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act

Protecting Victoria’s Environment – Biodiversity 2036

Review of the native vegetation clearing regulations

How can I get involved? You can visit the consultation website – HaveYourSay at DELWP haveyoursay.delwp.vic.gov.au/biodiversityplan – to learn more and read the draft plan. You can also log onto HaveYourSay to provide some feedback or a submission, ask questions or have a discussion about the plan. Your feedback will help us to bring together the plan and create the course for action. You can also share videos about the plan and links to HaveYourSay with your friends through social media. The public consultation period will be open from 17 March 2016 until 15 May 2016.

FINAL PLAN RELEASED

IMPLEMENTATION

WHAT DOES BIODIVERSITY MEAN TO ME? Part of my livelihood

Tourism

Good for my mind and body Healthy land

Connecting to country

Clean, green farming

Native plants and animals

Iconic landscapes Part of my identity

Clean air

Being outdoors

Connecting with other people

Carbon sequestration

Clean water


WHAT COULD ALL VICTORIANS DO TOGETHER TO TURN THE PLAN INTO ACTION? Western Quoll

Restore landscapes to provide habitat for reintroduced native species

Nature: Connect with it • Enhance visitor experience at sites such as the Phillip Island Nature Parks and the Port Phillip Bay Western Treatment Plant Ramsar site • Create more interpretative mobile apps to help Victorians to better understand the plants and animals around us

Better link together and support volunteer networks

Eltham Copper Butterfly

Funding for the environment • Create a way to pool together investment funds to get the best outcome for biodiversity • Publicly advertise priorities for action to encourage investment and focus efforts • Use matched funding and a revolving fund to support action while maintaining capital

Schools adopting iconic local species

Growling Grass Frog

Link fragmented habitats for animals

• Build and strengthen partnerships to support private land protection, restoration and management

Accounting for the environment • Advocate for the Australian Bureau of Statistics to implement a national approach to environment accounting • Partner with interested businesses to pilot improved valuation of natural capital and the business risks associated with its management

Build a Victorian coastal biolink for animals, plants, people and climate change Clover Glycine

Protect and bring back on-farm species (e.g Plains-wanderers, Bush Stone-curlews)


DELWP has worked closely with key groups to think of some ideas for turning the policy within the draft plan into tangible actions. These are just some ideas but we need more, from you, to bring this plan to life. As part of the plan, we invite you to contribute your ideas to the collection.

Pardalote

Greening our cities to reduce climate change impacts, increase nature and make them a better place to live

Bully birds – stopping overabundant Noisy Miners from displacing small woodland birds

Regional Riparian Action Plan – managing vegetation and waterways for native fish

Silver Daisies

Reducing the impacts of horses and deer on alpine plants and wet forests

Managing fire to conserve rainforests and their inhabitants

Eastern Barred Bandicoot

Creating feral cat and fox-free places for native fauna (e.g French Island and Phillip Island)

Caring for the Bay – protecting marine biodiversity by preventing new marine pests

ISBN 978-1-76047-062-3 (Print) ISBN 978-1-76047-063-0 (pdf/online) Photo credits can be found at the consultation website.


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